Defective
by GIR's Infernal Waffles
Summary: Begging for the human's life may have been a mistake;an Irken PAK is a strange gift, the personality it harbors parasitic. So while Zim's human might be alive, he isn't defective; he isn't Dib. Meanwhile, a leaderless rebellion within the great Irken Empire is brewing; a rising up of those forgotten outcasts,the only beings in the galaxy the Brains truly fear. Mild-to-Moderate ZaDr
1. Wishes Granted

**(A/N) I've always been fascinated by the idea of Irken defectives. So this plot bunny lodged in my brain and would not detach. So I put pen to paper. And it turned into this. :')**

"**Defective" isn't so much inspired by "Invader Dib" as it is made to... be compatible with "Invader Dib" (although this is obviously alternate continuum if you consider "Invader Dib" cannon). **

**Even if you're on the fence about ZaDr or support ZaDf, I humbly encourage you to give this a shot. :) THIS IS A ZADR FIC, _BUT_ it's my own style of canon-compatible ZaDr (I really hate about half the ZaDr fandom...). But if you clearly don't like ZaDr, please don't read it. **

**Without any further ado, I welcome you and hope you enjoy the ride. **

**I do not own Invader Zim. I'm not even sure I own this bunny; more like it owns my soul. **

"My Tallest, haven't I always served you with all the greatness that is _Zim_?"

"..."

"..."

The two leaders glanced disbelievingly at each other, then returned their gazes to the Irken soldier prostrate before them. It was Red who sighed, waving his hand.

"If it'll make you go away, the human is spared." The invader's head shot up, a grin on his face, but the Tallest was quick to hold up his hand. "There are conditions, Zim. First, he'll be _Irken_; we'll have him fitted with a PAK. Although his memories won't be put into the Collective, the Collective will be put into him. He'll be a human in appearance only; his mind and body will work like an Irken's."

"Of course, my Tallest!" the soldier cried, leaping to his feet and saluting. "What a gift! I thank you!"

Red sighed again, tiredly. "Have him report to the Smeetery once we reach Irk. Then we'll see if you thank us."

Nodding excitedly, the Irken invader called Zim scurried off, darting down the now-familiar halls of the Massive. He was eager to get back to the room he shared with the soon-to-be Irken, the Dib-human; they hadn't been so far apart since the Sweep of earth.

"Dib-thing! Zim is home!"

The paranormal enthusiast was, predictably, glued to the window of their small room. When the door opened he turned, pointing almost proudly out the window.

"Zim, get over here."

The Irken joined the boy there; the view was familiar to him, but the human's boyish excitement pleased him.

"What's that one called?"

Zim observed with interest how the blue and black Irken clothes seemed to suit the human. "That's the planet Blortch."

"And that one?"

"Ziconu."

"And what's that?"

"That's a Ziconuian ship."

"What's that?"

"It's the Millenium Belt."

"What's the Millennium Belt?"

Zim laughed softly, knotting his fingers in the human's hair and pulling his gaze away from the window, forcing his head to turn so that they faced each other. He took in the bright, curious eyes, the mouth partially open, poised to ask another question.

"So full of questions, earth-stink?" he asked fondly, reaching forward and flicking the human's nose. "You know, curiosity suits you so much better than that wretched grief."

Dib shrugged, his mood unaffected by the reminder. "It hurts less than I thought, you know? I didn't have much on Earth to live for, anyway."

"Well now you have something to live for on the great planet of Irk!" Zim announced grandly, his tone inappropriate considering how close they stood to one another. "You are to be honored by becoming part of the greatest race ever to roam the galaxy!"

The human brightened, his expression more honestly happy than any expression Zim had ever known him to sport on earth. "They said 'yes?'"

The alien nodded. "Yes, they said 'yes.'"

Dib's expression turned devilish. "I'll stage a rebellion... yes, I'll take down your planet from the inside out!"

Zim chuckled, momentarily pressing the startled earthling's lips to his. "No, Dibling... no, you'll come to realize just how _magnificent _we Irkens are!"

"I'm sure I'll come to realize just how diabolical and twisted you are," the human said, sticking out his tongue. "Then I'll destroy you all."

Despite the mock-seriousness of the threat, Zim laughed. "Foolish earth-stink. You would never succeed. And even if you were to, you would not destroy _Zim_."

Dib rolled his eyes. "Fine. I _might _return the favor and let _you _watch the destruction of your homeworld and the annihilation of your race. _If _you're nice to me."

A shrill, wordless wail made both human and Irken jump, and they spun to see the tiny green dog standing in the doorway. He had tears in his eyes and instantly ran to Dib, clinging to the boy's leg.

"Eh? What in...? GIR, what's going on?" Zim demanded. "Why are you still in your _amazingly _convincing earth disguise?"

"'Cause I is missin' da earth!" the defective SIR unit wailed, sobbing into a rather confused and sympathetic Dib. "I... I... _I miss it_!"

"GIR!" the Irken invader barked. "GIR, stop this foolishness! Stop it, I say! There is nothing _to _miss on that horrible, _filthy _stink-planet!"

The robot sniffed loudly. "Ah... I miss the cupcakes... and the tacos... and the taquitos...! I miss the grass... and the sun... and the squirrels...! I-I miss the parties, and I _miss my piggy_!"

"GIR, listen to me! Listen to Zim!" Planting his hands on his hips, the alien pointed to his supposedly evil minion. "You can't miss earth! I won't allow it!"

"Hey! You can't tell him that!" Dib objected suddenly, having knelt slightly to put his arms around the sobbing robot. Zim drew back.

"What is this?" he asked disbelievingly. "You're allying against me!"

The human sighed. "No, Zim, we're not allying against you. But jeez, you don't have to be such a jerk about it! I miss earth, too!"

"Seeeeeeee?" GIR whimpered, clinging tighter to Dib's clothes. "Dib-human misses earth, tooooo!"

Scowling, the Irken turned away from the scene, closing his eyes. "GIR, you _know _how to make those infernal... waffles, do you not?"

A hesitant nod. "Uh-huh..."

"Then you have my _permission _to go down to the kitchens and make them! Doing so will ease your foolish emotions of _homesickness_."

GIR brightened visibly. "Master wants waffles to ease homesickness!"

Zim's eyes flew open. "Wait! I never said-!"

"Okie-dokie! Waffles for master!" And with that the defective SIR unit was gone, bolting back out the door and down the hall, leaving Zim scowling after him.

"Foolish little piece of scrap metal!" he spat. "I require no _waffles _to ease this homesickness that I do not suffer from! I am _Zim!_"

"Oh, like you have no feelings at all," Dib sighed, sitting heavily on the floor. "Admit it, you miss earth."

"I will admit no such _thing_!" Zim roared. "No such thing at all!"

Craning his neck so that he could still see out the window, the human shook his head. "Shouldn't we be sitting in Ms. Bitters' class right now, Zim? Shouldn't I be trying to make everyone see you're an alien, and shouldn't you be plotting to take over the world?"

"No, we should not," the alien said brusquely. "Because I _succeeded _in taking over the world, and you _failed. _Right down to the end, you failed."

"You're right..." Dib admitted listlessly. "Right to the end..."

"_Dad! Dad! There's still time! You can save us! Gaz...! At least save Gaz!" _

"_I don't have time for this, son!" _

"_Dad...!" _

Watching the human with one open eye, Zim felt his antenna droop. He hadn't really meant to dredge up such things; he hated seeing his human in such a state, too fatigued to even strike back. But his pride wouldn't allow him the words to apologize.

"_No! Let me go, Zim! I've got to-! Gaz! That's Gaz down there! Dad! Oh... oh god!" _

"_... Do not watch, Dib-thing... foolish Dib-thing." _

"Why did I insist on watching...?"

Zim looked away, unsure if he was more irritated or depressed. "Because you're stupid, despite your disproportionately large head."

"Maybe that's true," Dib said softly.

With a visible effort, the human rose, going once again to the window. He rested his forehead against the glass in a motion of exhaustion, but his eyes stayed wide as he watched planets and stars whizz by. Soundlessly Zim joined him, wrapping one arm around the human's midsection, drawing him close.

"Zim _is _sorry for... such things."

"... I know."

Forcing himself to return to the present, Dib leaned over and kissed his Irken lover on the soft green temple; Zim turned, an unspoken agreement, and met his searching lips.

"You're all I have left," the human whispered. "You better not disappoint me, you jerk."

"Never,"the alien replied. "Zim cannot disappoint."

A vibration made the Irken's antenna perk up suddenly, and he drew back in surprise, looking down. Dib, realizing the problem quickly, flushed a pale shade of pink.

"You're hungry!" the alien said, surprised. He cuffed his companion over the head, antenna flattening. "Why does the Dib not _use _that huge mouth of his?!"

Dib looked down, seeming embarrassed as the Irken took his arm authoritatively. He looked regretfully over his shoulder as they left the relative security of the room, but Zim wouldn't hear of hiding there. He did, however, pull the human closer to his side as they started to encounter other Irkens; the whispering set both of them on edge, though the Irken was more far indignant than embarrassed.

"Do not question your greatest _invader_!" he snapped, making every Irken turn away self-consciously. "You will not question _Zim_!"

"Zim…" Dib pleaded, "don't attract attention…!"

"Foolish earth-stink!" the Irken spat. "Zim does not _slink _about like some blorchian grub-worm!" Then he added, more softly, "And neither should the Dib-thing, for the Dib-thing is almost equal to Zim."

"Hey!" the human objected, straightening and lurching sideways to pull Zim off balance. "I think _Zim _is almost equal to _me_!"

The Irken smirked. "You lost, stink-beast! You lost to _Zim_!"

"Only because I was tired of humanity," Dib insisted. "I let you win because it suited me."

"Yesyes, I know I am irresistible," Zim said carelessly, flicking his tongue over the human's ear. "We're here, unobservant _human_."

Emerging into the Irken cafeteria, the unconventional pair instantly commanded the attention of every creature in the room. Neither paid it any head, Zim leading the human up to the counter. Gazing at the unfamiliar food (and oddly familiar sandwiches), Dib sighed.

"I miss pizza."

Zim sighed, too, his eyes fixed on the donuts labeled _Reserved for the Tallest _on the top shelf. "I  
miss how easy snacks were to obtain on your _filthy _planet."

Dib smirked, then turned to the Irken behind the counter. "What would you recommend?"

The poor food service drone blinked. "For a… human? Well… I, uh… couldn't really say…"

Despondent, the human sighed again. "I'll just take a sandwich, I guess."

Collecting the bag, Dib felt Zim take his arm again; they walked quickly back to their room, the human shutting the door gratefully behind them.

"Try it," the Irken urged suddenly, and Dib blinked.

"Huh?"

"The sand_wich! _Try the sandwich!" Zim said insistently, intensely.

Dib raised an eyebrow, but obligingly pulled out the sandwich and examined the Irken insignia stamped there. Glancing self-consciously at the watching alien, he took a large bite.

"Ah!" The human drew back in surprise, pinkish goo dripping from his mouth, which had fallen open. "I's gwooey!"

Zim nodded excitedly. "Superior, yes? The goo, the _goo_!"

Chewing open-mouthed as one might chew a particularly sticky, annoying caramel, Dib furrowed his brow. "Bizarre! It's… sweet goo…! Is all Irken food like this?"

"Superior, yes?" Zim asked again, smugly.

"…" The human wrinkled his nose. "I-I'll get used to it… maybe."

… … …

The trip to Irk took only three short days, during which time the two were never seen apart. Zim was the portrait of possessive, hissing and shielding the human from hostile eyes. And even though he didn't actually need protection, Dib couldn't help but be pleased. It was the human who spotted Irk first, glued to the window as he had been for the majority of the trip.

"Zim! Zim!" he called excitedly, hands against the glass. "Zim, is that Irk?"

The Irken joined his companion, leaning with his shoulder against the window. "There she is," he said dreamily. "All of Irk is waiting to welcome Zim and his human, yes…"

The two stood in silence, content to watch the metal-encrusted planet grow bigger as they approached, until at last it took up the whole view. Then Zim turned into the room, gathering up the pair's few possessions (green monkey statue among them). Dib had escaped earth's destruction with only his glasses and the clothes on his back; in a token show of defiance, he shed the Irken clothes he had been wearing and donned his human garb for the arrival on Irk.

"Yeeeeeeeewoooooooo!"

Both human and Irken glanced up at the excited shriek, and suddenly Zim was bowled off his feet. Dib burst out laughing as the little robot grabbed his master's face.

"GIR?!" Shoving the defective SIR unit off, the Irken sat up. "Where have you been? Tell Zim, tell Zim now!"

"I was gettin'-!" GIR stopped short, eyes flashed, and suddenly his smile faded. "I have been repaired, sir," he finished, deadpan.

"Eh? Repaired?" Zim asked. "What is the meaning of this?"

"My defective circuitry, sir!" was the reply. "It has been repaired. Awaiting orders, sir!"

Looking unnerved, the Irken took a step back. "GIR! Stop this foolish_ness_!"

"I have, sir," the robot said, seeming rather confused. "I have stopped all foolishness." Then his eyes lit red, head rising. "The Tallest! They summon me!" he announced, and then walked out without a single glance back.

Zim looked bewildered and, for lack of a better word, lost as he stared after his evil minion. Dib joined the Irken, letting their shoulders touch.

"What was that about?" he asked, for lack of a better thing to say.

The Irken Invader gave himself a shake. "It must be a temporary side effect of the arrival on Irk. The electric field must be effecting his AI circuits- perhaps for the better. Do not worry yourself over it, Dib-human."

_I'm not the one worried about it... _the human thought, glancing at his companion nervously. Zim was biting his lip, a very human habit; his teeth, sharper than the average human's, had managed to draw blood.

"_Landing in 10 minutes," _a voice on the speaker said, and both human and Irken jumped. "_Prepare for disembarkation." _

Zim shook himself again, a somewhat-forced grin splitting his face. "Come, earth-stink," he said, but Dib pulled him back toward the window, watching with intense curiosity as the planet's surface approached.

"I don't see any plants," he said, looking over at Zim. "Th-there is oxygen on your planet, right? I mean, you could breath on earth, so I assumed..."

The Irken nodded, his grin becoming more honest. "Irk has factories that produce her air."

Dib looked startled. "Factories?"

"We have evolved past the point of needing petty plant or animal life on the great planet of Irk!" Zim announced grandly, and the human shifted nervously.

"Are you the only organic organisms on your whole planet?"

"Some necessary bacteria are grown in various labs," the Irken said with a shrug, completely at ease with his kind's artificial existence. "Our food is produced in factories as well."

Thinking of the gooey sandwiches he had been subsisting on, Dib gave up hope of any real food with a sigh. Then he turned back to the window, unsure of whether or not he was actually pleased to be descending into such a metallic, artificially-generated world.

But the human had regained his enthusiasm by the time they landed; it was hard to be anything _but _excited at the sight of the sprawling civilization waiting to greet them. Disembarking from the Massive was an event; Zim, the returning invader, was to be the focal point of the parade, standing beside the Tallest. But he wouldn't even _hear _of being separated from his human, and so both of them ended up standing on the platform beside the two figureheads, Zim waving jovially and Dib peering around with almost frantic curiosity, stretching his neck up as he gazed out over the sea of welcoming Irkens.

The Tallest were none too pleased.

Laughing, Zim held up both arms and waved wildly, obviously enjoying himself as he blew kisses to the crowd. The crowd, rather confused in general, applauded dutifully as they whispered among themselves about the defective Zim and the strange alien he now had in tow. Such alien gestures he was making, too; nothing like a kiss existed on Irk. And they kept whispering, even after the Tallest and their two much shorter companions had vanished into the domed building where they resided.

"This... this is incredible!" Dib exclaimed as soon as he could make himself heard without shouting. "Zim, this is amazing!"

"Zim _knew _you would find it so," the Irken said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"I mean, this is just-!" the human started to continue, but was cut off by Red clearing his throat sharply.

"You, earth... _thing_, are to report to the Smeetery, where we raise our young," he said, regarding Dib with bored distaste. "There you'll be fitted with a PAK and given access to the Irken Collective."

"Oh wow!" Dib exclaimed, looking excitedly at Zim and then back at the Tallest. "A-A PAK? Is that...?"

"You will become an Irken, young man," Purple said sternly. "If you expect us to accept you, you have no choice!"

Suddenly nervous, the human glanced back at Zim. The invader smiled encouragingly. Swallowing and steeling himself, Dib turned back to the Tallest.

"Alright. Tell me the way."

"This SIR unit will show you," Red said tiredly, waving his hand. Instantly a fully-functional SIR unit was there, saluting.

"Sir! This way, sir!" it chirped, pointing. Dib lingered, however, taking a step in the opposite direction, back towards Zim.

"Foolish Dib-thing," the Irken said, amused. "Zim will be right here when you return."

"You better be," the human said threateningly, but the quaver in his voice betrayed just how nervous he was. He followed the SIR unit, though, padding after it through the alien hallways with all the confidence he could muster.

As the darkness of the tunnel closed around him, he glanced back; only Zim's luminous eyes remained visible, still fixed on him as he descended.

**(A/N) So what did you guys think? The real drama begins in the next chapter. If you review, I'll give you waffles **_**and **_**a hint about what's to come!  
**

**I plan on having a cover up for this story tomorrow or Friday... and am _aiming _to have at least one chapter up per week, just as a heads up. :)  
**


	2. Alien Landscape

**(A/N) Welcome to chapter 2, worm-babies. Prepare to wander the streets of Irk in endless circles, because this chapter delves into some of the planet's darkest secrets. **

**Meet Lark, the embodiment of such secrets. **

**I apologize that this chapter is a tad bit wordy. Irk itself isn't well defined in the series... so I had to indulge in a bit of detail. But a lot of exciting stuff is still going down in this chapter, believe me. ^_^**

**Thanks to TwoCute, AsianCutie93 and Lileipad for reviewing! *hands out waffles*  
**

**I do not own Invader Zim. Perhaps thankfully, I do not own a PAK, either.  
**

Zim waited, right there. He waited, determined to be just where he had promised he would be when his human-turned-Irken came back down that hallway; when Dib looked at him with those eyes that seemed independant and needy at once.

He waited for the alien boy.

He waited anxiously; first his foot started to tap, then he began to pace. No Dib. Minutes turned into hours; the foodening in celebration of Earth's conquering passed without its guest of honor in attendance; the Tallest retired to their chamber on the top floor, leaving Zim waiting at the bottom.

"I told him Zim would be here!" the invader snapped at a well meaning SIR unit who tried to usher him to a guest room. "I promised him that Zim would be here when he got back!" Then he turned away, moaning, "Why is the Dib-human not back...?"

Night filled the building slowly, the mild Irken sun setting in a pale imitation of the brilliant firestorm sunsets of Earth; still Zim paced, looking worriedly down the hall where his human had disappeared. And he was still there, frazzled and frantic, when the Tallest descended on their hover pad for breakfast. Before they even landed he was up beside them, using his metal limbs to lift himself so as to push his face into Red's.

"Where is the Dib-human?" he demanded, antenna flattened. "Where is he? Tell Zim, tell Zim _now_!"

Purple blinked in a confused manner, but Red narrowed his eyes. "I don't know, Zim."

"You do!" the invader snapped. "You lie! You're playing with Zim, laughing!"

"This is no laughing matter, Zim," Red said, his voice dangerously soft. "The Control Brains might not agree but I, for one, _know _you are a defective."

Zim drew back sharply. "Eh? Y-You speak nonsense! And what does that have to do with the subject of the Dib human?"

Red ignored the question, turning instead to Purple. "We need to check in with Invader Nen today. It's been awhile, since before this whole thing with earth began, and he was doing fairly well when we-."

"You _will _answer _Zim_!" the invader screamed, grabbing Red's collar. Stunned, the Tallest stared at him for a moment before slapping the small hand away and staggering backwards.

"I _don't _know," he snapped. "That's the truth, Zim. But he was released yesterday; he won't be coming down that hallway."

Zim's metal limbs folded in his surprise, and he found himself staring up at the Tallest. "Why... would he leave Zim...?"

Red didn't answer, and Purple still looked more bewildered than anything else. The hoverpad landed and the two figureheads disembarked, leaving Zim to slink off and back away. With one last glance at the receding figures of his leaders, he took off down the hall that led to the Smeetery.

"Stupid Dib-worm!" he burst out on the way, though he was talking to no one but himself. "Just leave, will you? Stupid earth-stink! Zim will not allow it!"

The Smeetery yawned in front of him abruptly, an underground cavern extending for hundreds of miles and filled to the brim with smeets of every stage of smeethood. Sliding across the sloping metal wall, Zim hopped down beside the closest robotic arm, seizing it roughly.

"Where is the human that was brought here?" he demanded. The computer jerked at its limb for a moment, seeming like it wasn't going to answer. But eventually it gave a mechanical sigh.

"Zim. We've missed you around here."

"Yesyesofcourseyouwould," Zim said, waving his free hand. "But where is my Dib?"

"... 'Your Dib?'" the computer asked innocently. "You wouldn't be referring to that lucky human who wandered in here, would you be?"

"Of course, there is no other!" Zim snapped. "Where is he? Answer Zim, answer Zim _now_!"

"First of all," the computer said with a mechanical chuckle, "no Irken owns another; you all belong to the Control Brains. So he isn't 'yours.' Second, he isn't called 'Dib' anymore, nor is he human. He is a proud member of the Irken empire, and he answers to the name the Control Brains have given him.

"Lark. He is now the Irken called Lark."

… … …

Though he spent hours and then days trying to track down the Irken called Lark, he found only dead ends. He couldn't seem to get in touch with the Tallest; he couldn't find GIR, either.

It was as though Irk had forgotten about the tiny, defective invader named Zim.

But he would never give up; no matter how faulty his programing, that characteristic was indelible. Perhaps he should have given up, for his mind was beginning to slip; he did the same thing day after day and expected, by some miracle, to find his precious human. And so he was reduced to wandering the streets of Irk endlessly, weaving circles through the maze of metal.

A raving lunatic just outside the Control Brain's reach. A neutralized threat.

"Where is my human?" the Irken begged, clinging to a passing kinsman's PAK. "Have you seen him? He is the only human on this wretched... this horrible, glorious planet of Irk!" Shrugged off in an annoyed fashion, he turned to a female. "Where does he work? The Tallest sent him somewhere...! He's called Dib, the Dib-human is! They're keeping him somewhere, I know it...!" Ignored again, he looked to the sky. "Someone answer Zim!"

But no one even noticed the little invader's existence; they had duties to perform. Even GIR, fixed up and, unbeknownst to Zim, assigned to a new master, had a place and function in the flawless society.

Zim did not. And so he wandered.

"Zim will _not _be ignored...!" he gasped out, physical exhaustion dragging at him. Though Irkens did not sleep, their bodies were not made for the kind of strain Zim had been putting his under.

"They tricked Zim...!" he raved, his feet scuffing out an unbroken pattern. "I said... ha! Zim said that he would no longer be an invader if they spared the Dib-human! I gave up my whole life for that stinking little earth-monkey, and still they deny Zim!"

Ignored, the Irken continued to walk; a passerby clipped his shoulder, but even that didn't interrupt him; he simply lurched and changed directions. Another worker, annoyed when he swerved in front of them, shoved the pitiful creature, sending him stumbling away. His foot caught in a grate and he reeled, crashing to the ground and sending lurid blue blood splattering across the metal walkway.

And he lay there upon the ground, the flow of foot traffic parting to swirl uninterrupted around him as he slipped away.

… … …

When Zim woke, he was surprised to find a compress on his forehead. It felt of human make, even moistened slightly with the pure groundwater of Irk; such things were simply not done on his home planet.

Sitting up quickly, the Irken boy found himself alone, sprawled out on a handmade mat in the shadow of an abandoned building. A sign beside his head warned in bold red letters that the building had a faulty structure, and so was condemned as defective. Removing the scrap of purple cloth from his forehead, Zim examined it. Too rough to be Irken material, the fabric was obviously of alien origin.

_Dib...? Couldn't... be... _

Rising unsteadily, Zim glanced around. His eyes fell on a small brown bag, oddly familiar in shape and in... scent? Leaning down, he unwrapped it slowly, almost warily.

Inside the brown paper lunch sack he found a stack of waffles, dripping with maple syrup but without butter, as he had always ordered GIR to make them.

_GIR, then...? But... no. _

Though made with primarily Irken ingredients, they were a nearly flawless imitation; eating his waffles with silent relish, the Irken invader felt strenght flood back into his limbs. Then he poked his head out into the street, segmented tongue cleaning up the last of the syrup on his face.

"Hear me now, Irk!" he called out in typical Zim fashion. "You will not defeat this invader! You will not defeat _Zim!_"

Storming down the street with a renewed sense of purpose, Zim found himself on a slight incline, heading down towards the mining pits. He had never been so far into what Irkens called wilderness, the uncivilized jungle of metal and untamed technology; that was for workers, not soldiers; certainly not invaders. It had been forgone several times in his search for such reasons, but the new flush of motivation urged him to throw all caution to the proverbial wind.

That hunch proved to be correct, and all doubt vanished from the lost Irken's mind when he spotted _them_, lying there on the pathway. Slipping obtrusively between commuters, Zim skidded to a halt.

There was a crack in the glass and one bow was twisted, but they were unmistakable; no such thing existed on Irk. Zim picked up the glasses gingerly, almost reverently, gazing at them for a moment before cradling them to his chest.

Certain that he was on the right path at last, Zim skittered on metal limbs down into the proletarian part of his planet; conquers by nature, most Irkens spit upon those who lived and worked there. The worker drones, however, were the very creatures creating the weapons and the ships used to build the great empire; they tended the machines that produced Irken food and the air that they all breathed- things no slave could be trusted with. It was even said that PAKs were constructed in some underground facility there, though no one could seem to find evidence of that claim.

Zim clambered spider-like down the final slope, sending crumbs of concert (a rare, contemptible material on the metallic world) skittering down in his wake. Once on solid ground, he reverted to his natural legs.

"You! Worker drone!" he called, waving to attract the attention of one Irken worker. "Come! Be honored to speak to _Zim_! What is your name, inferior Irken?"

The worker shuffled over, seeming mildly irritated. "Glort. I'm Glort. What do you want, oh Mighty Invader Zim?"

Zim puffed out his chest, although he was almost a head shorter than Glort. "I come in search of a lost human, the Dib-thing! Where is he? Tell Zim, tell Zim now, all that you know!"

It took a moment for the lightbulb to come on, but then the worker's eyes brightened. "Oh yeah... yeah, they did bring that freak through here, come to think of it."

"The Dib-human is no _freak_!" Zim snapped. "Where is he? Where is Zim's human?"

"Jeez man, I'm tryin' to tell you," the Irken said, annoyed. "They assigned him to underground weaponry duty. I think he was on the line for Rei Blasters. Oh, but they weren't callin' him 'Dib' or whatever. They were callin' him... 'Lark' or something."

"I'm aware," Zim muttered. "And they will pay for such disgraceful, _heinous _actions..."

"Man, are you defective or somethin'?" Glort asked nervously, then backed away. "Man, you're on your own!"

Watching disinterestedly as the worker returned to his task, Zim craned his head to see the entry to the underground facility. He shuddered; no self-respecting Irken went down there. That was where the lowest ranked workers dwelt, spending centuries of their life without glimpsing the sky.

_Dib..._

Trotting forward with little more thought, Zim was distracted by a flash of movement. A recycle truck was making its rounds, and for an instant the invader swore he saw movement- a creature -on the lid of the next bin in line. His breath caught, and instantly he was there, ducking under the collection ship's outstretched claws and snatching the items from the recycle can. Then he skidded to a halt, staring in horror at the clothes in his hands, the familiar pattern staring up at him.

"Dib..." He spat the name, seeming surprisingly annoyed as he bundled the human's clothes with his glasses and tucked the whole clump into an empty segment of his PAK. Then he dove into the mines without a breath of hesitation, plunged instantly into darkness. Blinking rapidly, he willed his eyes to adjust faster. When they did, however, he wished they hadn't.

The sight of his own people toiling in such conditions didn't disturb Zim; it was the thought that Dib was among them that made his sqeedly spooch twist inside him. Weaving through the shadowy rows of machinery and dutiful, mindless Irken workers, he refrained from rising up on his metal limbs; for once he _didn't _want to draw attention to himself. So he scuttled among the rows of assembly lines, deafened by the clatter of metal on metal, stretching his neck up in some vain attempt to find his human.

Every minute took him deeper into the bowels of Irk, but he pressed on determinedly. An hour passed, though, and then two, and he began to wonder if he had missed his human in the dark, crowded spaces or if- he shuddered -Dib wasn't there at all.

"_Break!_" squawked the overhead, and Zim jumped clean out of his skin. "_All worker drones in section 10-32, report for your break!_"

The Irkens backed away from their workstations with a sudden eruption of murmuring, some groaning as they stretched sore limbs. As the ocean of labor began to swirl around him, Zim looked about frantically, all but lost in the sea of worker drones.

Then, amid all the bobbing antenna, he saw it:

Dib's hair.

Forgetting about his skittishness, Zim leapt up onto the nearest block of abandoned machinery. His foot slipped and he nearly tumbled into the contraption itself, but didn't even flinch as blades sliced the empty air just inches behind him.

"Dib!" the Irken called, catching a glimpse of his human's back through the crowd. Keeping that bobbing hair in sight, he vaulted through the river of workers, stepping on heads and shoving at the confused and innocent Irkens. Plunging the last few feet, he grabbed the human's shoulder, vividly aware of the foreign-looking PAK with its blue spots and the cold frailness of the body under his hand.

Turning his lover to face him, Zim felt a shiver run through him. It was Dib, unmistakably, but his eyes were empty, pupils dilated to an unnatural size to compensate for the constant blackness. The drone blinked slowly, his eyes adjusting visibly to the close up view.

"... Zim...?"

The Irken went weak with relief. "Yes, yes! I knew you would not forget Zim!"

The boy blinked again, even slower this time. "... Of... course. But what do you want?"

"!" Zim drew back as though struck. "What do I want?" he squeaked. "_What do I want? _I want my Dib-human! I want him back and I want him now!"

The worker blinked. "But... I'm not...

"Who's Dib?"

The Irken's jaw dropped. "Eh? What? _What_?"

"Who is Dib?" the boy repeated, those hazy eyes of his fixed on the Irken. "You're looking for a human called Dib? Let me help."

"You're the Dib! You are the Dib-thing, foolish earth-stink!" Zim snapped, seizing the other's shoulders and giving him a none-too-gentle shake. "The Dib-thing _is _Dib!"

But the Irken worker drone shook his head. "No, I'm not Dib. I'm called Lark. It's the name I was given by the Control Brains."

Zim felt his heart-equivalent lurch inside his chest, threatening to stop. "No... no, you are Dib! You are Dib and I am Zim! Listen to me, you stupid human!"

"Oh, I'm not a human," Lark said jovially, a half-smile melting into place. "I'm an Irken, a worker drone, proud to serve my Tallest."

In sudden desperation, Zim mashed his mouth to the startled boy's, forcing his segmented tongue past the lips to stroke along the palate. Lark had frozen in place beneath his hands, not unlike Zim himself had the first time Dib kissed him.

"What are you doing?" the confused Irken worker asked, speaking around his lover's tongue. "What... what is this?"

"It's called a _kiss_, earth-stink!" Zim spat, thrusting the drone away with a disgusted motion. "_You _taught Zim how to."

"I've never heard of such a thing!" Lark exclaimed, then paused, touching his lips thoughtfully. "It's... it's just so alien!"

"Exactly!" Zim cried, grabbing the other's hand, which was so much more calloused then it had been two months before. "Exactly, that's because the Dib-worm is _human_! The Dib-worm taught Zim how to kiss, because..." For once the great invader was lost for words, still shaky on the subject of love himself; Dib had always been there to answer _his _questions, to explain the things that were, in essence, so alien to him. So he fell silent, his fingers simply stroking that soft, calloused hand.

"Oh!" Lark said suddenly, his eyes brightening. "You and this Dib fellow were in love, is that it?"

Something inside Zim snapped, then, and the tears started to flow down his cheeks. "I've found my Dib-thing..." he whispered, taking both of Lark's hands in his, "but he's broken."

"It's alright," the Irken worker said soothingly, reaching up to stroke his lover's antenna, just as he always had and always would. "I'm sure he's not _broken _broken; everything can be fixed with time."

"Yes... everything _can _be fixed..." the Irken murmured, a sudden flare of hope coming to life inside him. "If the Dib-human says everything can be fixed, then... it must be so."

Lark gave a little Irken purr that sounded odd on his human tongue. "I'm sure the Dib-human is right."

"_Break is ending!" _came the shrill voice over the speakers, making Zim jump. "_All workers, report back to your stations! All workers, report back to your stations!" _

"I have to go," Lark said, giving the invader's hands a quick squeeze. "I hope you find your Dib-human."

Zim's eyes widened, panic suddenly filling him at the thought of his Dib slipping back into the shadowy crowd of Irken refuse. Just as the pale hands were slipping free of his, he grasped them tightly.

"You can't!" he hissed, pulling the startled Lark close to his chest. "Zim won't let you do such things!"

"I-I have to!" the worker drone stammered, struggling feebly. "M-my Tallest... I have to serve them as the Control Brains say I can best serve them!"

"No you don't!" the Irken snapped. "They assigned Zim to be a food service drone, but _Zim _is an _invader_! And Zim conquered earth, you see? The Control Brains were wrong!"

Lark squealed, seeming honestly terrified. "Zim, don't say that!" he whispered frantically, wrenching his hands free of the embrace and clapping them over the Irken's mouth. "Don't say things like that! It's treasonous, horrible! A... a defective would say things like that!"

Zim blinked, startled by the use of the word. "A... defective...? No, no, Zim is not defective," he decided with a shake of his head. "Zim is... an _invader! _And the greatest invader on all of Irk! Now, Dib-human, we shall leave here!"

Lark wavered, glancing uncertainly towards where most of the workers were already lining up. "Well... y-you are my superior... as an invader..."

"Yes, yes..." Zim urged, pulling his human toward the exit. "Yes, you will obey your superior, Zim!"

Frowning, Lark followed the Irken invader, though with continuous glances backwards. "Th-they'll notice I'm-" he started to say once, but Zim quickly hushed him.

"_Worker drone Lark, please report to your station," _the announcements drawled suddenly, and the drone jumped.

"That's me! I have to get back to-!" He cut himself off with a squeak as Zim grabbed him, metal legs unfurling as he vaulted over machinery and Irkens, suddenly racing toward the exit.

"Hold on to Zim," he commanded sharply and Lark, not knowing what else to do, clung with sudden fear to his abductor.

"What in the Tallest?" a supervisor shouted, leaning over his bench as Zim sailed by. "Catch him!" he called to the confused workers. "By order of the Tallest, catch that defective!"

The word rang in Zim's ears, but he wouldn't allow himself to consider it, focusing instead on the human in his arms. He lurched, off balance, as one of his metal legs was grabbed; with little thought he switched on his boosters, tearing the limb off as he flew away. But more worker drones were catching on, reaching up with grasping hands and beginning to overwhelm him with sheer numbers, clogging his escape route.

"This way!"

Zim didn't pause to consider the impossibility of it, simply obeyed the trusted voice and swerved, bursting through a thin layer of concrete and into a veiled air vent. The glow of rockets shone in front of him, and he followed the blue dots until he shot out into the cool night air, greeted with the familiar sight of the night sky.

Lark whimpered suddenly, burying his face in Zim's chest and startling the Irken. "Bright...!"

Concern shooting through him, Zim pulled Dib's face up, though the boy's eyes stayed screwed shut. "Dib-thing, it's just the moons!" he said critically. "Two months down there and the Dib doesn't even _want _to see the sky?"

Lark frowned, eyes still closed. "Why would I want to see the sky?"

Zim heard a strangled little sob; it took him a moment to realize that it came from his own throat. "Dib-thing..."

"This way!"

The chirp came again, and this time Zim spun, surprise emerging in the absence of adrenalin.

"GIR...?"

The little SIR unit flew up beside him, hovering there and nodding. "Master said to fetch you both," he said in a businesslike tone. "This way."

"... GIR, Zim is your master..." Zim said softly, but was promptly ignored. So, cradling Lark to his chest, he followed the little robot wordlessly across the sky.

It took the odd trio an hour to reach their destination; Irk's short night was ending, the weak sun making its appearance over the metal horizon. Where GIR led them was a junk heap, rare but not unheard of on Irk, an uncivilized sprawl of scrap metal and half-functioning robots- a haven for dead and dying technology seeking escape from recycling. The SIR unit led the visitors expertly through the maze of metal, picking the most solid and direct paths, though within minutes Zim knew _he_ would be hopelessly lost without their guide.

But he trusted GIR, no matter how oddly the little robot was behaving. _Where else would we go...?_

he thought dismally, feeling the Dib-thing stir against him.

"We're heeere," the SIR unit chirped, sounding like the old GIR for a split second. Then he descended, landing on a wide, flat piece of metal that rested atop what seemed a painfully unsteady pile of garbage. But GIR walked confidently across it, and Zim landed on the surprisingly solid surface.

The SIR unit pried up an old, dented door at the edge of the sheet. "Come." Seeing little alternative, the invader padded up and peered into the blackness. Again it was Lark's soft, incoherent murmuring that convinced him, and he picked his way carefully down an invisible staircase. Each step was right where he hoped it would be, and Zim reached solid ground safely. He could hear metallic clanging all around him but it didn't alarm him, simply intrigued him.

Suddenly, a light flashed on; Zim blinked, momentarily blinded by the brightness. When his vision cleared he peered around, quickly finding the sparsely furnished room's only occupant.

His voice held disbelief and a touch of annoyance as he greeted the Irken by name.

**(A/N) And so it begins. **

**Reviews get the first sentence of the next chapter... But if you can _guess _who this strange Irken is, a reward/request may be in order. ^_^  
**


	3. Identity of the Defective

**(A/N) Welcome, my fellow defectives. We could use your assistance.**

**… You are defective, right?**

**Thanks to "SillyHumans," AsianCutie93, LadyCerebellum, and Lileipad for reviewing! A special shoutout to LadyCerebellum who answered the question of the mystery Irken posed in the last chapter and resolved in this one. Congrats again, and hit me up whenever you want that request! ^_^**

**HEADS UP: chapters 4 and 5 are not written yet; 6 and a quite a few after that are. So 4 might be a bit slower. Please be patient, I will work my hardest to get it up soon. If I don't manage it before I leave for the weekend, I'll leave you with at least two or three oneshots for my wonderful readers. :)**

**I do not own Invader Zim.**

"Skoodge?" Zim asked, scrunching his face. "What is all this? Zim demands answers!"

"Sit," the Irken said, motioning to a chair. "We don't stand on ceremony here. None of us are much for ceremony, anyway."

Zim narrowed his eyes. "Zim does not obey you," he said, and so remained standing. Skoodge sighed.

"There was doubt because of your devotion to the Tallest, but I think you've more than proven yourself," he said, crossing his short legs.

"Zim needs not prove himself!" the Irken snapped, taking a step forward.

Skoodge smiled sadly. "Don't you see, Zim? They're trying to kill us all off because they feel threatened by us. They got Lepa two days ago; now it's up to you and I. That could be of assistance, too," he added, pointing to Dib. Then he continued, conversationally, "I was assigned to be a worker drone, you know that? My PAK still designates me as one."

Zim's jaw dropped. "... You're a defective. You... you've betrayed the Tallest! You've betrayed Irk!"

Skoodge sighed again. "So have you, Zim."

"Zim is not a defective!" the invader roared. "No! Never! Zim is not-! Lies! You spew lies!"

The other Irken blinked. "You don't want to be defective? Most defectives wouldn't trade it for the world."

"Of course not!" Zim spat. "A-as a defective, I can't be an invader...!"

"If I've heard right, that's already come to pass." The defective Irken shrugged, propping up short legs on the foot rest.

"My Tallest..." the reluctant Irken objected, but his voice faltered. "My... Tallest have betrayed Zim..." he added crossly, looking down at Lark.

"Yes, they have," Skoodge said softly. "They've had you on a blacklist for some time, especially since the Trail. They've been looking for a way to break you or remove you from society, and your attachment to that human gave them all the leverage they needed (though they could have handled it much more artfully...)."

Zim was still shaking his head. "Zim isn't a defective," he insisted.

Skoodge was growing impatient, standing. "Look, I play puppy for the Tallest every day to avoid detection. If you, who prance about all day as though nothing were wrong, can't even admit that you're a defective, then I can't help you. They got Lepa two days ago," he repeated reverently, shivering. "Now I'm in charge. But I can't help you if you won't even admit it!"

"Eh? Help me with what? Zim needs no help!" the invader snapped, planting his feet.

As if on cue, Lark whimpered. "Zim... why so much shouting...?"

The invader's head flicked down as if hit, and he saw the little human smeet peering up with narrowed eyes. "Don't pay any attention, Dib-human," he urged, nuzzling his lover's forehead briefly and then pushing the questioning face back into his chest.

"Help with that," Skoodge said, pointing. "We've been working on a way to release the mind of an Irken from the control of their PAK; with him to study, we could have it finished..." he trailed off, eyes darkening. "Lepa... is gone, so I could have it finished within the week."

Zim's antenna pricked. "You could get my Dib-thing back?" he asked, leaning forward. "Answer Zim! Could you?!"

Skoodge sighed. "Lepa... you left me alone with this idiot..." he told the ceiling, then looked to his guest. "Yes, that's what I just said."

"You can fix him?" Zim asked, just to verify. But this time the other shook his head.

"Oh no, we won't fix him; we'll break him." Coming forward, he slipped behind Zim, hands cupping the short Irken's PAK. "You tore a limb escaping from the mines, right? Come down to my lab; I'll fix that for you. And bring... Lark, was it?"

Reluctantly Zim obeyed, padding after his smeethood companion and slipping through the halls, pulling Lark along by one hand. Where Skoodge led them was a small lab, a patchwork imitation of Zim's own on earth.

"When I was living in your basement," the rebel explained, "I got a lot of ideas about how to structure our own base. The Tallest provided you with out-of-date tech, which is mostly what we have to work with here. Some are supplied by Vortian rebels (also like your own base), but a lot of the parts are scavenged from junk heaps. We have pockets of defectives living in every dump on the face of Irk; this one is the hub."

"How have you escaped?" Zim asked critically. "The Tallest should have exterminated you long ago."

Skoodge's eyes darkened and he seemed to shut down, though he kept moving in a jerky fashion. "We haven't escaped," he explained. "Every so often, we have to... offer a sacrifice, I suppose you could say; let the Brains find one base so that the others can keep going. We lose anywhere from 5-100 Irkens every time; Lepa's number was drawn this most recent time, and she went... willingly. They don't realize just how many of us there are, so the they think each time that they've won, and it buys us up to a year or two of peace."

As he spoke, the stout Irken kept his hands busy, turning Zim bodilly this way and that as he fiddled deftly with his PAK, twisting wires and gears to allow for repair of the mechanical limb. The invader was surprised at how painless the maintenance was; even when he himself detached his PAK for a tune up, it was prone to send unpleasant twinges up his spine.

"The majority of defectives live in the population, escaping detection just like I did," the rebel continued. "... Just like Lepa used to. But those who live out here- like I have, since her death -face the possibility of detection and extermination, as you put it, every day." He didn't give Zim time to respond, closing up the newcomer's PAK and reaching out towards the human. "Come here, Lark."

Zim immediately placed himself between the two of them, history of the resistance instantly relegated to the back of his mind. "The Dib-human is mine! Touch him and face the wrath of Zim!"

Skoodge looked about ready to punch his old friend. "He isn't a defective, Zim; the Brains will be able to find him. I have to disable the tracker on his PAK now, before they do just that!"

"No!" Zim snapped. "I will not allow tampering with my Dib!"

"Zim, is everything... what's going on?" Lark asked helplessly from behind. "Zim?"

"Be quiet, earth-monkey!" the Irken snapped, then turned back to Skoodge. "No one will be trusted with him!"

Skoodge was quickly losing patience. "Zim, they'll be looking for him soon, if they aren't already! They'll put two and two together and come up with exactly four! And then they'll find us!"

Zim would have replied had Lark not given a sharp gasp from behind him. Spinning, he stared at the human questioningly, more than a bit irritated at the interruption in his argument .

"The Tallest are coming here!" Lark squeaked excitedly, his eyes hazy. "They're in my PAK, telling me not to tell yo-!" Then he yelped, clapping his hands over his mouth. "Oops!"

Zim's eyes were wild as he swung back to Skoodge, demanding, "How could you let this happen! You knew they could trace our PAKs! Why did you not disable the tracker on the Dib's?!"

Skoodge glared at his accuser, but reached forward and grabbed Lark's hand, pulling the startled worker forward. "Fine. And now, Zim, we have to abandon this base." Wrenching Dib's PAK open deftly, he picked through the wires and jerked one, detaching it. "I'm going to run a few tests before we leave; we might not have access to certain machines wherever we end up."

Leading the human- with a worried Zim in tow -deeper into the base, the stout little Irken called "GIR!" not unlike Zim had so many times. Then he pulled up beside a wall covered from floor to ceiling with what appeared to be medical supplies, grabbing a needle.

"What, what is that?" Zim fretted, ducking in and out of the frame in an attempt to see better. "What are you doing? What are doing to my Dib?"

"Just running some tests," Skoodge said, plunging the syringe into the human's pale arm.

"Ouch!" Lark yelped, then dissolved into pitiful whimpering. Zim found himself caught between annoyance at such unseemly behavior and frantic concern.

"What's going on?" he asked, leaning up and over Skoodge's shoulder quite obtrusively. "What are you doing that could make the Dib cry out so?!"

"I'm taking some blood!" the rebel said hotly, shoving Zim away with his free hand. Spatters of a dark, reddish-purple liquid appeared on his face, and he turned to see that the worker drone had pulled himself free of the needle.

"That hurt!" Lark whimpered, rubbing furiously at his bleeding wrist. Skoodge looked about ready to either have a seizure or throw up his hands in defeat.

"Zim, could you please tell him to hold still?"

With a glare at the rebel, Zim took the human's hand; he was visibly disturbed by the unnatural, violet blood that his lover was bleeding.

"Dib..." he said, his voice uncharacteristically soothing. Predictably, though, he couldn't keep up such a demeanor, and ended up wrestling Lark into an awkward embrace, holding out his wrist for Skoodge to access. "Hold still, earth-stink!"

Sighing, Skoodge moved forward again and filled the syringe, then drew back and retreated to a corner of the lab, depositing a sample of the hybrid blood on a sensor pad that had sprouted from his SIR unit's head. Zim tapped in an annoyed way at his Dib's nose as Skoodge read over the data, but suddenly the rebel stiffened.

"That's not good."

Zim snapped to attention, shoving Lark away roughly. "What? What?" Darting to his smeethood companion's side, he leaned up and shoved himself obtrusively over the other's shoulder. "What is not good? Tell Zim, tell Zim now!"

"..." With a mild look at his smeethood friend, Skoodge pulled up a holographic chart from GIR's head. "I ran Dib's genetic makeup against these human health files (gathered by GIR when you two were on Earth); looks like the Smeetery did a pretty shoddy job of things. It looks like-"

"What does this mean?!" Zim demanded, grabbing the other's shirt. "Answers, give me answers! Give Zim answers!"

"I'm trying to!" Skoodge snapped. "Listen to me for two minutes!"

"I have been listening! And you speak in loopy-circle-y circles!" was the reply he received.

Shoving his smeethood friend away, the rebel straightened his shirt crossly and simply pressed on. "This thing the Brains call 'Lark' isn't human anymore, but it certainly isn't Irken. It's nervous system is completely intertwined with the PAK; they were very thorough about that. Just like most Irkens, it would die within ten minutes of disconnection.

"But the rest of the body is a sloppy mash of two species. Most urgent is the issue of diet; it still appears to need human nutrients, things not found in Irken food- things like protein and minerals like iron." Seeing his audience's blank look, he sighed. "In laymen's terms, he's starving. Very slowly, he's starving to death. And we can't do anything about it because I'm about to lose my labs, no thanks to you, Zim."

With an uncertain glance at the frail figure of Lark- sitting docilely where he had been shoved down -the invader bit his lip. "Protein...? That is obtained through the consumption of meat, yes?"

Skoodge nodded, then skimmed over another document with the flick of one hand. "Yes... meat, beans... all things we're deathly allergic to." Closing the SIR unit and shutting off the display, he sighed. "I can't do anything more in the time we have." Walking briskly over to where Lark sat, he helped the drone to his feet, then pushed him towards Zim; stalking past them both, he tossed over his shoulder, "Meet me on the surface in 15 minutes."

"What a jerk...!" the human said in a dazed voice, and Zim's head snapped down.

"Dib?"

But the Irken worker shook his head. "I-I keep telling you, my name is..." then he paused, seeming to have to think before saying, "Lark."

Confused but sensing the urgency of the situation, Zim grabbed his human's hand and dragged him down the halls of the base. As the pair had no possessions other than those already in Zim's PAK, they were on the surface far before Skoodge, who emerged dragging several bags of supplies. Lark pulled his hand free of Zim's, rushing over to help the stout little Irken.

"Thanks," the defective grunted, seeming surprised as the human picked up one of the heavier bags. Zim narrowed his eyes, more reluctantly stepping forward to relieve the rebel of another. The Irken was considerably less careful than the human, though, and several things tumbled from the package he slung carelessly up over his shoulder. Stooping with a scowl to pick them up, he paused to peer at a holographic image- a smiling, female Irken.

"This..." he began, narrowing his eyes, "this is Invader Tenn...!"

"Her name was Lepa!" Skoodge snapped, snatching the picture away. "She forsook the name given to her by the Brains." Then he paused, holding the image briefly to his chest. Stowing it in his one small bundle of personal items, he picked up his bags once more and led the way stiffly down the heap of rubbish. GIR joined them at an unmarked fork in the path, and the four of them slid into a well-hidden cavern.

Zim's jaw dropped when the ship reared up in front of them, suddenly dominating the view. "M-My Voot Cruiser!"

"The Tallest scraped it shortly after... they scraped you," Skoodge said, and then sighed as his feet scuffed up dirt; he knelt, feeling the pinkish soil with an odd reverence. "Smothered in metal... our poor planet."

Zim, not so much as noticing the other's words, clambered up into what used to be his ship with the human on his back; GIR followed with most of the packages, and Skoodge clambered up last, sitting down heavily in the pilot's chair. Predictably, the other Irken objected.

"Zim will pilot his own ship!"

The rebel didn't turn. "Tend to your human, Zim. Don't bother me."

The invader might have objected, but Lark's whimpering kept him occupied. The worker drone seemed to be having a meltdown, hopping from foot to foot and looking around frantically.

"The Tallest are looking for me...!" he squeaked. "I... they won't be able to find us...!"

"That's the point, dear Dibling," Zim replied, keeping their fingers tangled together. "Now trust Zim... and hush now."

… … …

Night soon crept over the metallic planet and, as the skies began to empty, the Cruiser touched down amid Irk's many high-rises. Skoodge half-slithered down the side, hopping down and stretching sore limbs.

"We'll rest here for the night," he said, settling at the Cruiser's foot. Seeing the objection on Zim's lips, he explained in a rush. "The skies are relatively busy during the day, plus I've altered the Cruiser's frequency so we can escape detection. But at night we'll stick out; different frequency or not, someone's libel to spot us."

Annoyed that he hasn't been able to ask, Zim just nodded. He helped Lark from the ship, the image synonymous with a gentleman helping a lady from her carriage; the human was even blushing.

"Th-thank you, Zim..." he said with a soft, Irken purr, stepping down delicately. The whole image contrasted so sharply with Dib, the real Dib, that Zim retracted his hand and allowed the human to stumble clumsily, staggering before he finally fell face-first on the metal ground.

Skoodge sighed as the invader strutted off crossly, and it was the stout rebel who knelt and helped the dizzy Lark to his feet. But he didn't speak to the human, simply brushed him off and then turned to GIR, pulling up a map from the SIR's head and leaning in over it.

So, left at loose ends, Lark wandered for some time around the temporary campsite; it wasn't as if he knew of or even could do anything to help. After perhaps an hour, however, he spotted a shape at the edge of one skyscraper, and a smile curved his mouth.

"Zim!"

The Irken didn't turn, but barked commandingly, "Come, human. Come to Zim."

Lark scrambled excitedly up, halting beside the Irken and waiting patiently for direction. Zim looked up, his eyes despondent as he gazed at the one creature he had considered an equal. No more did the thing that called himself Lark hold that treasured respect, the type of respect enjoyed only by mortal enemies. He was no longer worthy of it.

And that saddened the invader sent to conquer earth.

"Come sit beside Zim," he ordered, patting the metal lip of the building. "Sit!"

Lark sat down obediently, his eyes locked on Zim- not the sky, as they should have been. "Yes?"

Zim sighed, turning away. "... Remember this, Dib-thing?" he asked after a pause, his three-fingered hand creeping over and folding around the other's. "Just like this... you and Zim... the same sky... just a different view."

The human's eyes were wide, and he looked uncertainly up toward the stars. His mouth slowly opened, gaze fixed on that mysterious sky. "Zim, I..."

The Irken closed his eyes tightly, looking away from the boy he loved so much. "Don't..."

"Zim... I do remember."

The Irken's head snapped up. "You... the Dib-thing remembers?"

Lark nodded, hesitantly. "Zim, I... have memories I shouldn't. Memories... I wasn't given."

"Ha... haha..." Zim's laugh was fragile, for he was honestly afraid. "Dib... my Dib-thing remembers me? My Dib-human remembers earth?"

"I... think so..." the human whispered, lacing his fingers with Zim's. "I... don't know if its earth, but... I see the stars. I see a different view."

Tears were sliding down the Irken boy's face, and he leaned into his Dib, nestling his face in the other's neck.

And Lark continued to stare up at the stars, just as he felt he always had and always would.

**(A/N) I thought I'd end this chapter on an arguably (?) hopeful note... you know, in light of what's to come...**

**Reviews are appreciated! Please leave one, especially if you want a hint as to what's to come!**

**Fun fact of DOOM: I listened to quite a bit of Papa Roach while writing this, specifically "Leader of the Broken Hearts," "Into the Light," "Give Me Back My Life," "As Far as I Remember," and "Carry Me," among others. If you hop on over to my YT channel (link on my profile), I can promise a couple of Defective-inspired AMVs coming your way. ^_^**


	4. Mistaken Identity

**(A/N)I made it before Saturday ended. ;3  
**

**The opening scene... why? Because it was inevitable. x3 **

**Haha, a short cameo for one of my freestanding OCs. ^_^ And a name-only appearance for a Defective-exclusive one. I ran out of canon Irkens I don't already have plans for. O.o **

**Judging from my reviewers, I seem to have created a rather neat but accidental misconception... and therefore this chapter should hold some surprises. Let me take this opportunity to point out that Skoodge probably has the best handle on the situation as a whole. **

**Many thanks and waffles to my reviewers, Athena Keating-Thomas, AsianCutie93, Lileipad, TwoCute, and LadyCerebellum! You guys make it all worthwhile. :')**

**I do not own Invader Zim. Sorry to disappoint.  
**

Lark drifted in and out of consciousness throughout the night, his ill-fitting PAK sparking in a way that unnerved the watching Irkens. When dawn came and the air traffic picked up once again, the group collected themselves and piled into the Voot Cruiser, not unlike a family of human campers piling into their RV. But that was to be the first morning that Zim noticed something amiss with his smeethood friend.

"Where's your PAK?" he asked, his voice alarmed. Skoodge raised one eyebrow.

"What? You're just noticing?" the rebel asked, and then seemed to think better of the question. "Actually, I'm not surprised."

"Where is it? And why is Skoodge not _dead_?" Zim demanded, holding Lark unconsciously tighter. "You're a zombie!"

Skoodge, who had opened his mouth in preparation to give a perfectly viable and sane explanation, felt his jaw go slack. It took him a moment to form the words, "I'm not a zombie, Zim."

"You lie!" the invader shrieked. "Zombie! You're after our _brains_!"

"You watched too much earth television!" Skoodge snapped. "I'm not-!"

"Zombiiiiiiie!" Clutching the confused human to his chest, Zim pointed an accusatory finger. "You will not have my delicious _brains_! And the Dib's brains belong to Zim and Zim _alone_!"

"... That's... kind of creepy, Zim."

"Creepy like a _zombie_? I think _not_!"

"..."

Narrowing his eyes, the invader reached forward and poked Skoodge's forehead. He then, with an air of absolute secrecy, whispered loudly to Lark, "The zombie is squishy."

"I am not a zombie!" the stout Irken shouted. "Listen to me, Zim! I can live without my PAK!"

"Impossibleyou_LIE_!" Zim cried, scurrying behind the Cruiser and then peeking out cautiously, human still held tight enough to impair breathing. And Skoodge, seeing no alternative, sighed.

"... I guess we'll just stop running from the Tallest, then."

Instantly Zim was in the Voot Cruiser, human in hand. "What nonsense do you speak?! Come, hurry! We're wasting time!"

Irritated but triumphant, Skoodge clambered up into the ship, taking his seat at the helm. GIR climbed in beside him, tongue sticking out in a very nostalgic manner.

"... Talk to GIR for a while," the pilot instructed his passenger, eager to change the subject of conversation to something constructive. "The sight of you seems to trigger some regression in him. If I tamper too much trying to get his personality back, I risk erasing his memory (which we can't afford to lose right now, thinking of Lark's genetic issues, among other things). If you can wake him up, it'll be best for all of us."

"Eh? 'Wake him up?'" Zim asked, confused. But the PAKless Irken offered no reply, seeming appropriately focused on flying the ship. So the invader switched his gaze to the little SIR unit waiting patiently at his feet. "Eh... GIR! What is the meaning of all this nonsense?"

"I have detected no... nonsense, sir," the unit replied. "Everything is tippy-toppy."

The last phrase sounded odd in the duty-mode voice, and Zim's invisible eyebrow quirked. "Eh? 'Tippy-toppy,' is it? What about the _zombie _flying this beautiful vessel, hmm?"

"I'm not a zombie, Zim!"

"Master is not a zombie," GIR said, sounding serious and cross. "Master is Master Skoodge."

"_Zim _is your master!" the invader snapped, losing his patience for no apparent reason. "That _zombie _is not your master! Zim is your master!"

But GIR only watched him with narrowed eyes- didn't reply. And so eventually silence fell in the Cruiser, Lark staring out the window and Zim muttering crossly, GIR awaiting orders that seemed never to come. By the time Skoodge landed once again for the night, the space in the small vessel reeked with pent-up tensions, though some were distinctly more rational than others.

"Zombie..." Zim muttered as he clambered out past Skoodge, and the stout rebel grabbed the back of his shirt. The invader jerked, eyes flying wide. "Release me! Release _Zim_!"

"Zim, I'm _not _a zombie!" Skoodge insisted. "I was born with a physical flaw- not a neurological one like born defectives. As I grew older- and more involved with the resistance -I started to study PAKs, and soon figured out a way to live without mine. Hobo 13 was an unnecessarily complicated test to see how long and under what duress I could live without it- not once did I have my PAK on when we were there together. I _assumed _you had already noticed."

"Zim had _not _noticed that you are a zombie," the other Irken sniffed crossly, seeming to have heard nothing of the lengthy explanation just offered to him.

The rebel shivered slightly as he suppressed whatever words were on the tip of his segmented tongue, but eventually he let out his breath with a rough sigh, releasing Zim's shirt and leaping down from the Cruiser. Lark came after him, and soon the foursome was gathered around an impromptu picnic, supplies packed by the ever-practical Skoodge laid out between them.

"Intravenous nutrients?" the rebel offered, holding out a blue and green syringe common on Irk. After a momentary conflict, Zim shook his head and took a sandwich instead. Skoodge shrugged, plunging the needle into his own wrist and sighing softly with the customary rush that followed.

But even as they fell into relative silence, the two Irkens were preoccupied with the hybrid munching happily at a sandwich, entirely convinced that the nutrients his body needed could be found there, and deadly wrong in that regard. Zim eventually stood, brushing himself off crossly and pacing across the rooftop; when Lark tried to follow, the other Irken grabbed his arm.

"Let him be. He hasn't been alone since this whole thing started, and Zim... is the type who needs time alone."

Lark's eyes went misty. "But he's my Zim; I have to be with him...!"

Skoodge shook his head sadly. "He's not 'your Zim,' Lark... he's Dib's. And you aren't Dib, right?"

The worker drone opened his mouth as to object, but then let his head hang. "... No."

"Seeing you causes him more pain than anything else," the rebel said gently. "It brings him comfort, too... but if it drags on for too long, the pain will outweigh all else." What the defective didn't feel the need to confide were his more secret worries- the concern that Zim might snap one day, should he see Lark posing as Dib; that he would kill both of them, either accidentally or entirely on purpose.

"Just... let him be for a while. Here, why don't you help me with these schematics?"

… … …

Zim heard the whole thing- and was grateful, at least on some level, for his smeethood friend's intervention. He hadn't a hint about the rebel's deeper worries, but he appreciated the respect he assumed he was due.

"I am Zim..." he muttered, "and I could leave."

He wasn't keen on getting caught up in such complicated matters as an Irken coup; he only wanted his Dib back. But Skoodge and the revolt in general seemed to be the best option he had.

"I'll use them, yes... they will not use Zim."

His eyes found their way up, straining to see the stars through the artificial light of his planet. Why had that simple thing been so much easier on earth?

A tap on his shoulder startled him, and the Irken spun to see GIR standing just behind him; the robot's eyes were not red and not blue, but instead an odd greenish color.

"Is you saaaad? _Whhhhhy _is you so _saaaad_?"

Zim sighed, though undeniably comforted by the sight of something- anything -familiar. "Yes, GIR, Zim is sad. As unthinkable as it is, Zim too has the weakness of _feeling_, especially when the Dib-human is concerned," he informed the little robot seriously.

"Oooooh. You know what would make you feel better?"

The invader smiled indulgently. "And what would make Zim feel better, as if Zim requires cheering up- which he does not?"

"Tacos," the sir unit answered seriously, and then giggled. "I like tacos."

And Zim found himself smiling, patting his once-robot-minion's head absently as he turned back toward the cityscape.

"Yes you do, GIR. We've established this."

… … …

Zim didn't return to the landing sight until morning- his night, however, was not spent unproductively. So when he padded up beside the Cruiser, he wasted no time on pleasantries.

"Zim will borrow GIR for a bit, yes?" the Invader asked abruptly, though surprisingly docile. Skoodge raised invisible eyebrows.

"... Sure, I guess. GIR?"

The SIR unit padded up reluctantly, saluting. "Yes, my Lord!"

"Go with Zim for a while," the rebel instructed. "Treat him as your master until you return."

"... Understood, sir."

But Zim was shifting nervously, still seeming unsatisfied. "And... could you keep an eye on my Dib?"

Suddenly the stout rebel looked anxious. "You're not taking him with you? Where are you going, Zim?"

"Do not concern yourself," the invader replied flippantly. "Think simply that the Dib is insurance- Zim will return."

… … …

"...!"

Tearing at his antenna, gnashing his teeth, the leader of the rebellion was at his wit's end.

"It's been three days... three days, Lark! _Why _did I let that _idiot _out of my sight?!"

"He'll be back," the worker drone answered cheerfully, rocking back and forth on his haunches. "He's Zim! And my Zimmy _always _keeps his promises~!"

"..." Skoodge frowned, one brow arching. "You _really _aren't Dib, hmm?"

A cute little head shake.

And a sigh from the rebel.

"_Rejoice_- for _Zim _has returned!"

"Zim!"

"_Zim_...!"

Though Lark's voice was filled bubbly excitement, Skoodge's was scarcely a furious hiss. But as soon as the returning invader hopped over the building's edge, both of them dissolved into honest concern.

"Z-Zimmywhathappened?" Lark squeaked in one breath, looking as if he were about to faint. The Irken rebel rushed over, leaning in to examine Zim's smoking skin.

"Zim, what-?!"

"Do not concern yourself," the invader said, waving one badly burned hand and then wincing. A moment later GIR clambered up beside him, so Skoodge turned to the robot.

"GIR, what happened?!"

"It's a _seeeecret_," the little robot whispered loudly, then giggled. Skoodge jumped.

"Y-you got him _back_?!"

Zim shrugged. "The tin can has moments of so-called clarity." Then he stalked past Skoodge without a second glance, marching over to Lark; in one fluid movement he had grabbed the drone's pale arm and plunged a syringe into the interior elbow.

"Ouch!"

"Zim?!"

The invader didn't respond to either outburst, holding tightly to the now-struggling Lark and uncapping another needle with his teeth. Just as he was about to repeat the action, Skoodge grabbed his arm and dragged it back.

"Zim, what _is _that? What are you doing?!" he demanded, fear filling his naturally limpid eyes.

"Nutrients," was the simple response. "Now _release_ me and bow to Zim for this accomplishment!"

Skoodge staggered back, letting the other's arm slip free to administer the second vial of supposed nutrients. "Z-Zim...? What...? How?!"

The invader didn't answer until he had drained the syringe, tossing it down and breaking it deliberately with one foot. Then he released Lark- who staggered away, whimpering and rubbing at his arm -and turned to his smeethood friend.

"Look," he instructed, turning his arms interior-up. The first obvious thing was the mirad of burns making a patchwork of the green skin, but what lay beneath them was possibly more alarming. Skoodge reached forward tentatively, touching the rows of pale, lurid slashes that stretched horizontally across both his arms.

"Zim... what did you do...?"

The invader's voice was devoid of emotion as he answered, "Zim has been poisoned by the earth meats several times; there were traces to be found in my blood. Once in a lab, it was simple for one such as Zim to synthesize more of the same molecules. GIR contains the coding for protein and other such nutrients- those things not found in Irk's superior goo."

Skoodge was left staring, open-mouthed; awed. "Zim... you went that far...?"

"For the Dib," the invader confirmed, then shrugged. With a soft sigh he turned, trudging to a corner of the roof and crumpling there, holding his knees tightly to his chest. Skoodge watched with some sadness; he turned Lark away when the little drone came looking for Zim, and GIR came shortly after for the same reason; then it was Lark again. At last the rebel moved forward, taking the worker drone by the arm and calling for GIR.

"Come on, both of you; help me pack the Voot Cruiser."

… … …

"The secondary base is just on the outskirts of this centre," Skoodge informed his passengers excitedly. "We'll be there before nightfall, and meet up with Nym- one of our scientists -to see what we can do about Lark and Dib."

Zim stayed moodily silent, half-conscious human on his lap and sleeping robot on his head. But he couldn't bring himself to dislodge either, and so simply gazed out the window in a very Dib-like fashion, as if making up for the boy's absence.

So he was the first to spot it.

"Watch where you fly, rebel _scum_!" he snapped at Skoodge. "Do you _want _us to crash? Stay in your lane!"

The pilot blinked. "Zim, I _am _in my lane. Is someone-?"

The collision shook the cruiser, sending them swerving across several lanes of air traffic. Lark tumbled to the ground and GIR squealed in panic, clinging to Zim's antenna in the most painful manner possible.

"What was that?!" Skoodge demanded. "Zim, who just-?!"

Then it came again, this time accompanied by the sickening grate of metal on metal synonymous with the attachment of tow cables. Skoodge jerked at the Voot's controls, but nothing seemed willing to respond as swirling traffic honked furiously at the spiraling pair of ships.

Zim bolted to the window, hands pressed to the glass as he shouted, referring to the attacking ship, "It's got the Elite Guard symbol!"

Skoodge cursed colorfully in Irken, wrenching the ship so that it plummeted downward, dragging the assaulter's vessel with them, and then dove into a corkscrew spin that set his passengers tumbling. Pulling up at the last possible instant, he let the enemy ship plow into the metal-encrusted planet, sending civilians scattering as the force of impact severed the tow cables. Then the Cruiser was free, darting across the clogged skyways and weaving through confused commuters, bursting into the atmosphere with a sudden eruption of flame all around them.

"... You learned that maneuver from _Zim_...!" the very dizzy invader announced, staggering as he pointed in Skoodge's general direction. The defective ignored him, however, climbing up through the ozone and holding the ship steady as it broke free into open space. Only then did he lean back, exhaustion seeming to crash over him as he left the Cruiser to drift in orbit.

"We can't risk leading them to the base," he sighed, then cursed again. "What are we supposed to do _now_? What now, Lepa? ...What now...?"

But even though he momentarily closed his eyes, Skoodge soon leaned forward and tapped at the Voot's console, though still allowing the ship to drift aimlessly. A hologram fizzled to life, one depicting a small female Irken with a stitched-up antenna.

"Nym, we won't be making the rendezvous," the rebel said heavily. "We just ran into the Tallest's attack slor'ghaa ("attack _dogs_" would be close to what Skoodge is referring to, for all you humans reading this). I need you to move the base deeper underground; lay low for a while, alright?"

"Are you alright?" the scientist asked, though her voice wasn't overly concerned- almost as if the question was only an obligatory nicety.

"Yes; we're in the atmosphere right now," Skoodge replied. "I don't know when it'll be safe to meet. The last thing I want to do-"

"Is attract attention to us. You better not," Nym said softly, dangerously. "Lepa's death is on your head; another mistake and the Tallest might just get a Skoodge-sized, gift-wrapped package on their doorstep."

Zim was peering over Skoodge's shoulder as the rebel sighed heavily, seeming unsurprised by the threat. "You know you can't do that, Nym. Not because of Lepa, but because I'm the one who-"

"Knows his way around the insides of our PAKs?" The scientist cut him off again. "Wonder of wonders, that makes many of us more nervous than anything else, myself included."

The stout little Irken had taken a breath to respond when his smeethood friend leaned dangerously forward, placing himself intrusively into the middle of the conversation.

"Do not question Skoodge!" he snapped. "If you question Skoodge you question _Zim_, and such affronts will not be stood for, not at all!"

Nym's eyebrows arched. "Who in the hellcats' claws are you? You have no right to tell me who I can and can't question!"

"I am _Zim_!" the invader roared, slamming a fist down on the console. "Conquer of earth, greatest invader in the history of all of Irk! Adored by the masses and worshiped- yes, they worship Zim! I am _ZIM_!"

"_Zim..._!" Skoodge muttered crossly, shoving at the body that had somehow planted itself on top of him- indeed, the little invader was balancing on his stomach over the other's shoulder, feet no longer touching the ground. "Zim, this isn't worth-!"

"The _effort_?!" This time it was _Zim _who cut the poor rebel off, spinning in a truly awkward maneuver to bring their faces an inch apart. "Zim is worth the effort! I am Zim!"

"We've established that!" Skoodge yelled, wriggling and finally shoving the other Irken off, sending Zim tumbling to the ground. "By Lepa's ghost, stop being so... Zim!"

"I _am _Zim!" the invader snapped, though he was currently upside down. Righting himself, he drew breath to continue some narcissistic rant, but was interrupted by a trilling laugh.

"O-oh my Tallest...!" the holographic Nym giggled, her face flushed and eyes closed. "The resistance is in your hands...! Oh dear Lepa...! We're all doomed!"

The two males stared at her as she continued to laugh, both suddenly lost for words. Once the female had gotten herself under control, she leaned forward.

"Listen, Skoodgemious Illiactis," she said, in all seriousness. "Lepa trusted you with the resistance, so you have our blind, probably misplaced support. Make contact with us whenever you feel it is safe. Until then, _I'll _look out for everyone." She switched her gaze, adding in a deadpan voice, "And you, almighty Zim; a pleasure to meet you." Then she was gone, hologram vanishing with a soft staticy sound.

There was dead silence in her absence, at least until Zim cocked his head and asked in confusion and disbelief. "Eh? _'Skoodgemious_?'"

"Sh-shut up!" the stout rebel spluttered, attempting to retain his dignity despite the furious blue blush flaring across his skin. "Shut up!"

Zim hardly had time to start laughing before the ship lurched, sending all its occupants crashing to one side. Any remnants of the lighthearted atmosphere vanished as Skoodge leaped wildly for the controls; Zim, reminded suddenly of Lark and GIR, lunged back to pin them both to the wall. Skoodge grunted with effort as he pulled the ship into a tight spin, reentering the atmosphere of the planet entirely sooner than he had intended to.

"Invader Skoodge!" came the shrill voice over the Cruiser's intercom. "Surrender the fugitives you are harboring, worker drone Lark and defective Zim! Surrender them or face destruction!"

Angrily, the rebel slammed the control panel with enough force to cut off the intrusive voice, wrenching the Voot into a sickening twist as fire arched around them once again. "Zim! Hold on to something!"

Obediently, Zim pressed himself harder against Lark, holding the small drone steady and keeping GIR trucked protectively to his side- neither robot nor human felt more than a few bumps as the Cruiser descended, Elite ship in pursuit. Skoodge leaned forward sharply, urging the ship faster than it should have been able to go and Zim, knowing full well how their current flight was likely to end, buried his face in his lover's hair and pressed all three of them tightly to the friction-heated hull.

The impact came more abruptly than anyone would have thought- a tow cable attached the the Cruiser's rear end jerked them back, making Skoodge shriek with surprise. The gathered momentum tore the Voot free, but also sent it careening into a nearby skyscraper, scattering screaming Irkens and corpses in its wake. Then the battered ship tumbled to the ground, and even Zim couldn't brace hard enough, abandoning the wall in favor of clinging to his two charges instead. Then at last they came to rest, a heap of fugitives amid a heap of smoking rubble.

Amid that wreckage, Zim pulled Lark upright and hoisted GIR onto his head; Skoodge was a bit slower to rise, staggering out of what was left of the cockpit with one hand to his head. Limping forward, he motioned to Zim; together the foursome scurried into the shadows, picking their way along the edges of the bustling streets.

Then Lark stopped.

"My Tallest!" he chirped suddenly, pulling his hand free of Zim's. After the initial shock was gone, the Irken lunged after him, grabbing his arm.

"Dib!"

"My Tallest _want _me...!" the worker drone exclaimed hazily, a smile on his face. "Come on, Zim...! They want you, too...!"

"No, no!" Zim snapped, digging in his feet. "D-Dib...! Dib-thing, this way! Follow Zim! Follow Zim, _please_!"

"But my Tallest...!" Lark exclaimed, sounding lovesick. "My Tallest _want _me...! They _want _me...! I have to go to them!"

Skoodge grabbed Zim's hand, unable to simply watch it play out. "Come on, Zim! They'll catch up...!"

"I'm trying!" the poor Irken snapped, then turned back to his human. "Dib, please! Come with Zim, now!"

But Lark was beyond his words, squirming free of his grasp. "My Tallest!" he cried as he stumbled forward, then took off back towards the wreckage. Zim made to follow with an incoherent sound of distress, but Skoodge grabbed him.

"Zim, we have to get out of here!" he said, bodily dragging the smaller Irken backwards. "Zim, he's gone! He won't listen to you! _He isn't Dib_!"

"Zim will not leave his Dib!" the little invader wailed, but didn't have the strength to follow through. Even when he tried to make use of his robotic limbs, it was a simple thing for the rebel to disable them with one deft flick of his hand. "Dib. you fool! You stinking little dirt-child imbecile! Zim will not leave without you!"

Grunting with the effort of holding the writhing Irken, Skoodge muttered, "Sorry, Zim. I didn't want to do this, but we can't be caught yet. If we're caught, he really _is _done for."

"You filthy...! Do what...?! Zim will not-!" The little Irken's objections died as his eyes flashed grey, and then unconsciousness crashed over him; Skoodge, shutting his companion's PAK, shouldered the small body with an effort and scurried off- an escape, albeit an incomplete one.

… … …

"Zim, don't look at me like that," Skoodge pleaded, though the other's expression didn't change. "Zim, I did what I had to! If you had gone after Lark-!"

"Not Lark!" Zim spat suddenly. "Dib! The Dib-thing! _My _Dib-thing!"

"Zim, that's _not _Dib!" Skoodge yelled, fists balling at his sides. "When will you get it through that thick head of yours?! That's _Lark_, not _Dib_! I can't guarantee that we'll _ever _get '_Dib' _back! So you would be risking your life- and mine too! -for the sake of an Irken worker drone you don't even like; one who just so happens to share a body with your true love!"

"That _is _my Dib!" the invader screamed back, tears in his eyes. "Don't tell Zim that his Dib isn't coming back! Don't tell Zim that, please!"

Zim jerked back, seeming horrified by what he had just wailed for all of Irk to hear. Skoodge's anger deflated, his eyes softening as he looked at his old friend. Turning around, he thought it best to move the conversation along- as though he had never even heard Zim's outburst.

"This is a PAK that belonged to a friend of the resistance- he wasn't a defective, but he was an old classmate and friend of Lepa's," he said briskly, displaying the PAK on a bed made of upturned palms. "He died delivering a message from one base to another. I salvaged his PAK and destroyed his body, so his death was never recorded- one of the most useful deaths in the rebellion yet, I should say."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Zim's tone was a mockery of his usual abrasive attitude- shallow. But Skoodge graciously ignored that.

"Our old friend Keel here is going to help you infiltrate the Tallest's house- where they're holding Lark."

Instantly Zim's antenna pricked. "What? Help Zim...?"

Skoodge nodded. "A kink in your antenna and you're the spitting image of him; we'll just supplement your PAK with some chips from his and you'll be ready to pass as Keel, a perfectly normal janitorial drone." Then he turned, calling, "Come on; we should get back to the Voot Cruiser."

Ignoring the confusion brought on by the last statement, Zim rose and padded after his smeethood friend, focused now on a goal and able to avoid unpleasant thought pertaining to Dib and Lark. But when he followed the rebel into an abandoned building, he couldn't help but gasp.

"What is this?!"

Skoodge turned, blinking. "Uh... your ship?"

"Y-Yes, but she was destroyed...!" Zim stammered, reaching up to run one hand along the battered but intact hull.

"And I fixed her," Skoodge said with a smile, patting the bruised metal. "Lucky for us, Lark distracted the Elite and I was able to salvage the wreck- and all our luggage, as a bonus."

"How long has Zim been unconscious?!" the invader demanded.

The rebel shrugged. "Oh, about half a day."

"... Impossible."

"You have no idea what's possible these days, Zim. Now get in."

**(A/N) And so ends chapter four. Not my favorite chapter, I must say, but it serves it's purpose. :) I have... about 6-7% of chapter 5 written. So I apologize if it takes a touch longer than usual. **

**Reviews are always appreciated, and answered with lovely little hints and my deep gratitude. ;P **

**IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING A NEW MULTI-CHAP PROJECT FROM ME, CHECK THE POLL ON MY PROFILE! :) **


	5. Parasite

**(A/N) Time to shake things up a bit. That's what we defectives do, after all. **

… **Christmas snuck up on me. -.- I'll have a oneshot for you guys, I promise. The idea is too epic to resist. **

… **I have to ask- my insecurity demands it. Did I do something awful in the last chapter? There was such a steep drop in reviews... So... was the last chapter that bad? ;A;**

**Extra-special thanks to those who did review, Lileipad, xXFemkeXx and TwoCute! *hugs***

**I do not own Invader Zim. But CHECK OUT THE SHINY NEW COVER ART! I made that. ^_^ Check out my DA for a better quality look at it. ;)  
**

"You're a janitorial drone, Zim; janitorial drone Keel," Skoodge said, crossing a few more wires in his smeethood friend's PAK, his motions carefully measured. "Don't be your normal... Zimmy self. If you're detected, you _will _be killed."

"Ha! Zim is more than capable of-!" A jolt raced up the Irken's spine, cutting him off painfully. Skoodge then snagged one of his antennae, holding it like a wayward child's ear.

"And what did you just say?" he asked deliberately.

"I said that Zim is-!" Zim cut _himself _off the second time, flushing blue with embarrassment and stuttering "K-_Keel _is perfectly capable of being Keel...! Keel is _Keel_! I am Keel!"

"There's a good boy," Skoodge said, releasing the antennae and shutting his PAK with a pat. "There's a good janitorial drone. Now, I'm going to switch on the Brain's main feed, as well as the janitorial sub-network. I have no doubt that you'll be able to block them out, but it needs to appear as though you're actually listening. Don't, though; _don't actually listen._"

"You speak foolish-_ness-_!" Zim squeaked the last syllable as another shock ran through him, accompanied by a wave of sound. Wincing, he clapped his antennae down with both hands, though it did work; the voices were, of course, inside his own skull. The rebel Irken cringed with sympathy.

"It takes some getting used to," he muttered. "I'm always hooked up to the main feed, but I've programed my PAK to only play it for me when certain keywords appear, like 'Defective' or 'rebels' or 'Zim.' I'd go mad if I had to listen all day.

"… The most convincing defectives," he said after a moment's hessitation, "_can _listen to it constantly without losing themselves. Those defectives... they're the strongest us all, but also the ones most dedicated to blending in. I... only know of one. And I pity him."

As he spoke, he herded the other towards the door of the Cruiser, slightly unsettled but not surprised by Zim's blank eyes. "Ready, Keel?"

"Yes..." the little drone answered dazedly, "... so full of... readiness. Readiness... goo."

"Glad to hear it," Skoodge said, patting him on the shoulder. "Remember, my friend, not only does the entire resistance and both _our _lives ride on this, but the _human Dib's life _depends on it, as well."

That snapped Zim to attention, instantly relegating the Brains' drawl to the back of his mind. Saluting briefly, he trotted off toward the Tallest's dwelling, there at the center of Irk's metropolitan sprawl. For a moment he was taken back to that parade, the homecoming that he had dreamed of; that homecoming that had turned so bitter.

Falling in beside the other drones, he filed in past the entry arch, this time as the antithesis of the guest of honor. Each drone stopped in turn, machines scanning PAKs to verify imposter felt his antennae flatten when his turn came, but Janitorial Drone Keel was confirmed and waved through.

The Brain's steady stream of propaganda was suddenly overlaid by another, far louder order. _All janitorial drones, report to Tallest Red's chamber _immediately. _You will receive your assignments there. _

Keel's heart-equivelant skipped as his PAK transmitted a map into his very mind, his legs themselves urging him to follow the designated path. The pull was hard to resist- nigh impossible. Luckily, it wasn't necessary to resist, but instead beneficial to follow. Still, it unnerved Zim how easily his body and mind were swayed. _Is... _this _what it's like... to have a functioning PAK...? _

_To be... not Defective...? _

_What if Tallest Red recognizes me?! _

That far more urgent, practically worry occurred to him suddenly, shoving the more philosophical questions from his mind. He nearly stopped dead, but the drones around him didn't pause, and so Keel must not pause. So he continued on, allowing the parasitic presence of the Brains' voice to instruct his legs and trying not to return to his previous line of thought.

"Do you know where prisoners are kept?" he asked another drone, his idea of casual. But the creature's eyes were empty, with the exception of flashing data- the Brains' instructions. All the others were the same- empty, blank. And Zim shivered.

The group slowed suddenly, and suddenly the little defective found himself staring up at a tall, gilded door. The other drones paused, waiting patiently for something Zim had no knowledge of. Then the door swung abruptly open, making him shrink back into the midst of the legitimate drones as Tallest Red became visible, lounging in a relaxed manner on a hover chair. All but powerless to resist the instructions of that PAK, Keel padded into the room beside the other Irkens.

"Oh, good," Red said disinterestedly. "Your assignments, now..."

Zim swallowed visibly, trying to clear his head. But suddenly Tallest Red's instructions seemed to be the most important thing in the world- even thoughts of the Dib-human paled in comparison, and that made his squeedly spooch twist.

"Janitorial drone... Keel."

At the sound of his name, the defective felt a shiver run up his spine, tingling through his PAK. _My Tallest will recognize me...! How could he not recognize Zim...?! _

_"If you're discovered, you _will _be killed." _

But even with Skoodge's words of warning ringing in his mind, a combination of his own will and the PAK's urged Zim forward. He looked nervously up at Red, clearing his throat before saying in a deliberately low-pitched voice, "Y-Yes, my Tallest?"

But Red didn't so much as blink, though he was looking directly at the tiny Irken before him. "Report to the prison block and tidy up- you don't have to worry about inside the cells, just the hallways."

Zim stared up in disbelief as the Tallest turned away. A strange mixture of relief and disappointment was filling him, a sensation he couldn't make sense of. _But... I am Zim...! How could you not recognize Zim...?!_Then the Tallest turned back, and there was a strange rush of apprehension and hope.

"What are you waiting for? Go! Your PAK will tell you the way!"

Both dejected and relieved, Keel turned away; he was indeed receiving instructions, and let the PAK take over with an air of resignation. _If... my Tallest see Keel... and I think like Keel... _

_Is Zim _not _Keel...? _

But that was a dangerous way to think, Zim decided quickly. So instead of dwelling on such things, he quieted his mind completely, just letting the Brains do the thinking for him- which was far too easy for comfort's sake.

But the voices quieted once Keel had reached his destination- he wasn't defective, after all, and was more than capable of doing his janitorial duties of his own volition. But Zim had entirely different motivations as he slunk down the prison block, war criminals and alien scientists and defectives lying in puddles of filth- eyes sunken into their skulls and empty- haunted, staring out at he who dared to walk free.

Zim was shockingly immune to the horrors, his mind on one thing and one thing only, unable to spare an ounce of concern or even attention for those sobbing softly all around him. He swarmed down the hallway, poking his head into cells and clicking his segmented tongue, scrabbling up piles of bones to get a better view and slipping in the blood and grime he was supposed to be cleaning. But he didn't so much as wince until he came upon the second to last cell on the left- the one that held a shape so familiar that it made his squeedly spootch tighten.

"Dib..."

The small creature's head snapped up, a smile instantly springing to life. "Zim! I knew you would come for me!"

The uncharacteristic words made the Irken's heart-equivalent drop, but he leaned forward and fiddled deftly with the lock. Lark struggled to his feet with some effort, and Zim saw with a pang that bruises created a lurid ring around his neck. Letting the door spring open, he felt the little drone take his hand.

"I knew you would come, Zim..." Lark purred again, softly. The Irken shifted nervously, unsure how to respond to such behavior. So, for lack of a better alternative, he took the boy's shoulders and herded him briskly back up the hall, knowing full well that it was only a matter of time before he was detected.

"... Please...!" came gasping voices from all around him; a hand reached through the bars of its prison- skeletal and pale. A weeping face pressed to the cell door on his other side, but nothing of the sort could break the Irken soldier's concentration. Lark, however, was of an entirely different mindset.

"We have to free them...!" he whined, pulling at his rescuer. "Zim, we-!"

"The Dib-thing would _not _say such things!" Zim snapped, pulling up short and rounding on his companion. "We have no time for such things, and such things would be pointless!"

"But _Zim_...!" Lark pleaded, tears in his eyes.

The Irken struck him across the face, making the drone cry out with surprise as he stumbled backwards. Falling with an audible thump, Lark stared up with wide, disbelieving eyes, holding his cheek and whimpering.

"Z-zimmy...?"

The invader winced. "If you were the Dib," he yelled, "you wouldn't even flinch! You'd hit me back! The Dib would understand! It was...! We always-!" Zim choked, one hand flying to his mouth.

Lark sniffled, curling up tightly on the soiled floor and hiding his face in his knees. "You hate me...!" he bawled, shoulders trembling. "You really hate me, don't you, Zim?!"

Zim's mind was a muddled mess of emotion and skewed logic, only made worse by the adrenalin dumped into his system and the soft trilling of the voices in his head. Spinning away briefly, he pulled roughly at his antenna and then turned back, growling softly.

_Janitorial Drone Keel, status report pending. _

The Brains' voice made Zim snap to attention and suddenly he lurched forward, grabbing the hybrid boy and half-dragging him down the corridor.

"Zim still hates the Diblet many days," he said, responding to the drone's incoherent wailing. "Whether Zim hates you is beside every relevant point."

Racing up a short flight of steps, the invader pulled his bundle into a narrow service hallway, the vibrations of heavy boots telling him the that there were Elite coming. Stooping down, he pressed one antenna to the ground.

"One... two... three sets," he counted. "They have not discovered Zim, then, or they would have sent more. Come, earth monkey!" he barked, bouncing back up and whisking the human along.

Lark staggered as they ran, his weakened body making it hard for him to keep up with the conditioned invader. But Zim was unforgiving, never so much as pausing for a heartbeat, more than once bodily dragging the other by one hand. _If we can make it out... before they notice Zim is missing... _

Suddenly, his own face appeared as if projected into his mind, and he pulled up short with a yelp. Lark crashed into him, sending both of them sprawling across the floor as the voice in both their heads announced, _10,000 monies reward for the one who captures rogue Defective, Zim! 5,000 monies for his lifeless body! _

Cursing colorfully in Irken, Zim dragged them both back onto their feet, shoving the deadweight human into a supply closet and shutting the door tightly behind him. Half incoherent with panic, he pulled his PAK off and wrenched it open, digging sloppily through the collection of gears and wires. Lark shrieked with terror, but Zim held him at bay with one arm.

"Get out of Zim's head!" the invader snarled, tearing wildly at a handful of wires and discarding what he knew instinctually to be foreign parts. Bits of Keel and hopefully-non-vital parts of himself soon lay scattered about on the ground, and he nodded with satisfaction, fixing his PAK back into place and taking Lark by the arm.

The Irken drone whimpered but obeyed the wordless command, racing alongside his protector as they ghosted through the hallways. The tramp of boots was all around them, mocking their every step, but Zim never faltered. Only once did he grab Lark, shoving the obedient thing into an alcove as a whole troupe of elite guard jogged by just around the corner.

"Hurry, Skoodgemious...!" the invader whined, whisking them down another corridor with a millisecond to spare.

As if on cue, a distant explosion echoed through the building. A cacophony of shrieks rose up, for such a thing- an assault on the Tallest's home -was unheard of. But Zim took instant advantage of the signal, darting toward the sound with the hybrid boy in tow.

"Follow Zim..." he breathed, inwardly terrified that the boy would run off again. "Just... follow Zim. Zim... doesn't hate you."

"Zim!"

The furious hiss made the invader stop in his tracks, skidding and pulling Lark to a halt beside him. Then he spun, whipping the human behind his back as he faced the newcomers.

"My Tallest!"

Purple stood distinctly behind Red, who took a menacing step forward. "What are you _doing_, Zim?" he asked, his tone inferring that he knew _exactly _what the ex-invader was doing.

"You promised the human would be unharmed!" Zim snapped. "You promised Zim this!"

"I promised _nothing_, Zim!" Red yelled. "I told you he would be _spared_, that was all!"

"No!" Zim shrieked, backing up sharply and waving his free hand as if to ward off the words. "No, Zim is no defective! Zim is _not_!"

The Tallest's eyes narrowed, though it was with something softer than anger- perhaps pity. "Return Lark to us, Zim. He belongs to the empire, and we can do what we want with him."

"No!" the little Irken wailed, grabbing for Lark jerkily and fleeing, sprouting long, artificial limbs in a vain attempt to speed his flight. Within a single beat of his heart-equivalent, Red had caught up, one clawed hand closing around the back of Lark's neck.

"Zim!" the worker drone cried, terror welling in his voice as he clung suddenly to his protector. "Zim!"

His voice was so similar to Dib's, in that instant, that Zim reacted without thinking, lashing out blindly and feeling his metal claw sink into something soft. He was shocked when he heard _Purple _shriek, and looked to find his limb's tip embedded in the Tallest's narrow stomach.

Red's eyes flashed violently, fire springing up in their crimson depths. With a wordless roar of rage he struck the defective invader, tearing him free of Lark and sending him skidding wildly across the hallway, crashing into a wall with the sickening crack of plaster.

"This human doesn't even _want _your rescue!" the Tallest shrieked, holding Lark high by his neck. "It would be _merciful _to give him what he wants- death!"

"No!" Zim cried, lurching to his feet with a visible effort. "No, not Zim's Dib! The Dib is _mine_, and the Dib is not such a coward!"

Red's eyes softened inexplicably, though his tone was still hard as he said, "The human seeks to escape life; you should let him. He is trapped. Death would be a far better fate."

An explosion cut off anything else the Tallest might have said, making all parties shrink down to avoid the rain of debris. As the dust began to clear, the Voot Cruiser materialized in the narrow hallway, Skoodge at it's helm.

Red's eyes flashed, and suddenly he had grabbed Purple and broken away, rocketing past the Voot and into the hanger beyond. Instantly Zim was after him, disregarding Skoodge's shout of warning.

The Tallest vanished into the mouth of the Massive just in front of the invader, and the little Irken slammed with the force of momentum into the metal door. Staggering back, disoriented, he felt his head spin with disconcerting speed, the sound of the Massive's engines bleeding into his senses and blending harmoniously with the memory that had been dragged to the surface of his consciousness.

_"... What would I be without you, Zim?" _

_The Irken bit his lip, one of those unfortunately numerous human habits he had picked up. "The same thing Zim would be without the Dib." _

_"I never thought I'd hear _the _Zim admit to needing anyone," the human joked, shoving the invader off the couch they shared. Zim staggered, catching his balance and spinning to face his grinning enemy. _

_"Zim said nothing of the sort!" he huffed, crossing his arms. "Bored! The Dib would be _bored _without Zim, as Zim without the Dib!" _

_"That's not what you were going to say," Dib scoffed, leaning back and making himself deliberately more comfortable on the alien's couch. _

_The Irken felt an unexpected stab of guilt, but didn't allow it to show. "What was Zim going to say, arrogant little Dib-human?" _

_The paranormal enthusiast's face fell slightly, and his voice softened as he said, "Nothing. Without you, I would just be insane; without me, you would just be-" _

_"The Dib should remove himself from Zim's superior couch _immediately_!" the Irken cut him off, pointing authoritatively. Irritated, Dib stood obediently and trudged to the door. _

_"Fine, then," he muttered. "Forget it." But as he reached the door, he had begun to smile, ever so slightly. "Yeah... forget it. _

_"I've got you, and you've got me. So it's not even worth thinking about." _

_Zim winced as he moved to the door, feeling the human's words like a spear in his chest. And, seeing the boy's smile as he began to close the door, he physically couldn't swallow the words that emerged. _

_"The Armada is coming tomorrow, Dib. It's over." _

_The human's expression melted, first into one of disbelief and then to one of horror, and Zim shut his door tightly. He turned his back as the pounding began, but seemed powerless to walk away, instead slumping with his back against the cool metal. _

_"Zim! Ziiiiim!" the human wailed, beating his fists bloody, according to the Irken's sensitive antennae. "Zim, why?! Zim! Answer me, you stupid green alien! You ugly little shrimp, answer me! Zim! Zim, tell me why! Please, Zim! Open this door! Ziiiim! _

_"What didn't I do?!" _

_The Irken winced. _What didn't Dib do... as Zim's enemy or as Zim's friend...?

Or... what did the Dib not do... as Zim's mate...?

_They had had the inevitable conversation scarcely three weeks before, about how mates- in Irken society -were all but obsolete. Those who took them were more often ostracized then applauded, even by those that would be the Irken equivalent of their friends. It was the Irken equivalent of the human notion "social suicide." _

_Zim had assured his human that that didn't bother him- that his species could feel anything but adoration and admiration for _the Zim _was, at the time, unthinkable to him. He had also assured his Dib that, unlike in human society, the fact that they were both males would scarcely raise a single antennae- Irkens were generally asexual, and it wasn't at all uncommon for that minority with mates to be bonded to one of their own gender. _

_The fact that they were the conqueror and the conquered was also, surprisingly, not unheard of. _

_There had been three incidents in Irken history- and those were only the ones recorded in the collective, the ones deemed not Defective, which was a small miracle in and of itself. _

_Inferring that there had been many more. _

_The first had ended abruptly in an assassination- some civilian who had long been erased from the system had been outraged and killed the little female, a pitiful thing who had died in her Irken lover's arms. The second had ended in a similar but far more unpleasant way: the alien- this time a soft, sweet little male -accidentally killed by his own Irken partner. _

_Yet the third had succeeded. _

_Failure was unthinkable to Zim- he assured his Dib repeatedly that they would succeed in such a way; that he would never let anything but Zim harm his Dib, and then Zim would never harm him past the point of play. He had told him that Zim would take his Dib to meet this successful pair, who lived together in an area peppered with retired Invaders. Few Irkens, he had explained, were allowed such a thing as retirement, but Invaders were entitled to such a luxury. _

_"Zim will retire after while," he had said flippantly one night, "and then I and the Dib will live there. Until then the Dib is permitted to accompany Zim to the planets I will conquer- try to stop me, little earth-monkey." _

_And Dib had sighed indulgently, shoving him off the edge of the couch. "_If _you ever conquer earth, I'll just have to bring you down on another planet." _

_Leaning against the door, listening as the Dib finally turned and fled down his walkway, Zim sighed. "Those plans... Dib, remember the plans Zim has told you of. And do not despair that Zim has won." _

Clinging stubbornly to the door of the great ship, Zim ignored everything but the echo in his head; he ignored Skoodge's frantic shouts and the pain lancing through his body, as well as the impossibility of the whole situation. And as the ship left the ground, he ignored the fact that he was likely about to die.

Then, suddenly, the door swung open.

A small blue shape tumbled from the Massive, limp as it fell. Without a thought Zim flung himself after the human, watching in numb horror as that fragile, mortal body struck the metal surface of Irk and bounced, tumbling down a small mountain of technological refuse and into the dump where they had seen fit to toss him. The Irken broke his own fall with mechanical limbs, scrambling for balance and ignoring his own body, aching and torn from the shock of the impact.

"No... no!" he wailed, skittering down the slope as fast as was physically possible while keeping some level of balance. "_No_! _Diiib_!"

The human lay unmoving, his body twisted in an unnatural way. His PAK was sparking, obviously trying to shock it's host body back into life and making no discernible progress. Zim skidded to a halt beside him, dropping down onto his natural legs and then to his knees, rolling the limp body over carefully.

"No... you can't do this to Zim! Zim won't allow it!" he screamed, shaking the human none too gently. "I don't care if...! Zim doesn't care!" he insisted, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself as well. "Zim doesn't care what the Tallest say! My Dib-thing does _not _want to die! Not my Dib-thing! Not my stubborn, stupid, pesky little Dib-stink!"

The human didn't respond to his lover's shrieks, didn't even flinch at the shocks passing through his body. The PAK redoubled its efforts, the electricity strong enough to pass through Dib and into Zim; the Irken didn't flinch away, taking the jolts without wincing.

_The human seeks to escape life; you should let him. _

"My Dib wouldn't run away!" Zim screamed, sounding like a petulant child. "He's never run from Zim! He _wouldn't _run from Zim!

"Lark..." the name slipped from the Irken's lips, and suddenly his voice rose higher. "Lark! This is your fault! You aren't my Dib! Give him back to Zim, give him back!"

Perhaps it was irrational; Zim certainly couldn't have grasped the complex battle going on in the human's mind and body- that deadly battle for control. But Lark knew, as did Dib. And they both heard the Irken's words.

"My name isn't 'Lark,' you jerk..." the human rasped suddenly, stirring. "Zim... you jerk."

Tears sprang into the Irken's eyes. "Dib!" he cried, his squeedly spooch fluttering. "My Dib! Is it you? Is it really you?"

The human opened one eye, just a crack. "Who else?" he muttered, knowing full well who Zim had been expecting.

The human boy's PAK fizzled, the personality within struggling to reassert itself- and failing -as he sat up. Instantly Zim's arms were around him, crushing him to the point of pain.

"Ouch...!" the boy moaned, but the Irken didn't release him; if anything he tightened his grip.

"You have no idea how happy I am..." he whispered, burying his face in Dib's hair. "My Dib... my Dib-thing...! It's you, it's really you...!"

Despite the lack of air in his crushed lungs, Dib whispered, "Sorry it took me so long."

"'Sorry?'" Zim asked, then laughed. "You better be sorry, pig-smelly human." But his voice was choked with tears, and his insults lacked sting. "My Dib..." he repeated softly, squeezing the human tighter until his own bones creaked with the strain.

"O-okay, owww...!" The boy wriggled, teeth gritted in pain. "Zim you... menace...! Let... go...!"

Smiling sheepishly, the invader eased his embrace until his arms rested just lightly around his human love; Dib shifted, breathing a sigh of relief and relaxing against the Irken. Then he looked down in acute surprise, feeling his cracked ribs squirm back into place.

"My... my bones are healing...!" he said softly, literally aware of the ribs Zim had broken in his overzealous display knitting back together. The Irken nodded.

"You've been genetically altered to resemble an Irken," he explained, seeming pleased. "You don't need those glasses anymore because your eyes have been fitted with implants; broken bones heal within the day. Is the Dib not supremely pleased?"

"... It's weird," the human admitted. "So I'm... like a hybrid now?"

"Well Dib isn't Irken, but he isn't human," Zim said proudly. "You're my Dib, that's all. Though Dib is better than both feeble minded Irkens and stink-humans."

The hybrid boy raised one eyebrow questioningly. "I thought Irkens were the greatest race in all the galaxy, hmm?"

Zim scowled. "Irkens are _weak_," he spat. "They're a stupid, blind bunch of smeet-worms. The defectives have the right idea, this invader thinks."

"... So, a defective," Dib mused. "I guess that's what I am now, hm?"

The other defective didn't reply, looking unsettled. So he stood, lifting Dib in his arms and rising up unsteadily on spidery legs. The human didn't struggle, weakened in both body and mind, more than content to be carried by the only creature in all the galaxy that he trusted in that moment.

**(A/N) Joy. :'3 **

**The real ride starts in the next chapter; brace yourself, my fellow Defectives. **

**As always, please leave a review...! ;w; They mean the world to me, and I'll send you a hint! **


	6. A Defective War

**(A/N) I'm **_**super **_**tired, but I finished editing this for you guys. I do hope you enjoy it. ^_^ **

**Thanks to reviewers Tormentula, TwoCute, Flameear, and xXFemkeXx! You guys make all the editing and editing and **_**editing **_**worth it (I just about know the chapters word-for-word by the time they get to you guys…).**

**I posted a video in honor of this chapter: Invader Zim [Defective] The War Was In Color. Since it marks the beginning of the war. ^_^ Go check it out on my YT! **

**I do not own Invader Zim. I do, however, own a cat who has her paw pressed to my face right now. But it's just so cute I can't bear to move her. **

"I miss the sunsets of earth," Zim admitted to Skoodge one night.

The two Irken defectives sat on the edge of the base, staring out at the pale, washed out colors of Irk's sunset. With the Tallest off the planet, it had been a simple matter to rendezvous with the rest of the rebels- Zim hadn't said one snarky thing on the way, content to simply tend to his still-injured and weakened human. Now the two old friends sat together, the invader's eyes fixed on the sky and Skoodge unable to look away from his companion.

"You look like her, you know."

Zim screwed up his face, turning and looking at his companion as if to inquire about his sanity. Skoodge shifted nervously and laughed.

"Like Lepa, I mean," he said. "I think she could have been your sister. ... Bone structure and all that, I mean."

"I don't know if Blortch's rats had... siblings, but Irkens _don't_," Zim said, as if instructing a particularly thick-headed smeet.

Skoodge's laugh was more honest the second time. "When you've got my position within the rebellion, you learn a lot you'd rather not have about the empire. We _do _have siblings, Zim; there's an almost inbreeding-level of overlap in the genetic material used to create smeets; that helps prevent recessive genes, which are one of the things that could account for born Defectives."

"Then I couldn't be your Lepa's brother," Zim retorted, turning back toward the sky.

Skoodge sighed, turning as well, but after some undefined amount of time he smiled sadly and spoke again. "Zim... I owe you my life, you know."

The other glanced over, confused and mildly irritated. "Eh? What is this? When did Zim...?"

"Very few defectives are _born_," the stout invader said by way of reply. "Many who _are _born are detected and eliminated. Most surviving defectives _awaken_. You... woke me up. Then I woke Lepa. The whole resistance is _yours_, actually, since she... was the one who organized us all into something the Brains needed to fear.

"... We've been in touch with the Resisty," Skoodge admitted. "They want to know who our leader is. I'm not leader material, Zim. I'm just not... inspiring; I can't rally the troupes and lead them to glorious victory- that's just not me. I have no gift for strategy, and half the resistance holds me responsible for Lepa's death anyway; they wouldn't follow me. They need someone... revolutionary; someone inspiring.

"Zim, they need you."

Zim blinked, then laughed. "Of course they do," he said naturally. "Who exists that is better than _Zim_?"

This time it was Skoodge who laughed. "Someone inspirational, revolutionary... and egotistical. Yes, they need you."

Zim sobered, then looked at his friend with almost pleading eyes. "Is Zim a defective?" he asked, hoping that what he had already accepted wasn't true after all. The other sighed, knowing full well his friend's turmoil.

"Yes. Zim is a defective."

The invader returned his gaze to the darkening sky, magenta eyes narrowing. "Tell them that Zim is their leader, then," he said, surprisingly lightly. "Tell them that Zim is their leader."

Skoodge smiled; stood; placed one hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thanks, Zim."

"Tch. You should not thank Zim, foolish one," the Irken sniffed. "I do not serve you."

"I know," the other replied. "I serve you, now." And then he walked off, leaving Zim to stare after him with a rather quizzical expression.

... ... ...

Lard Narr and Zim spoke for hours- due to a complete lack of all discernible sanity, the transcript of their meeting was never released. But they emerged with a plan.

... Not a very well-formed plan, but at least it was a plan.

"I gained remote access to the Massive once before," Zim explained to Skoodge shortly. "I should be able to it again. They foiled Zim the last time by beaming their power core off the ship, but it should be easy to disable their transporters first. Resisty and the Meekrob will be waiting to ambush it... and then..."

"All unholy hell will break loose."

Zim's head snapped up, a grin breaking out over his face. "Dib-monkey!"

The human was leaning against the doorframe, looking shallow and weak but upright, at least. He pushed away from the support and half-limped over to the two Irkens; Zim lurched forward, catching him before he collapsed and lending his shoulder for support.

"Good to see you up," Skoodge commented, looking the human up and down. "Does this mean you'll be coming with us?"

Dib nodded, although his breath was unsteady. "Wouldn't miss it."

"Frail, foolish human," Zim chided, giving his lover a rough nudge but not allowing him to fall over.

"Hey!" Dib objected mildly. "I'm an Irken now, Zim. A defective Irken, no less."

"The Dib was a defective _human_!" Zim snapped, then broke suddenly into a purr as his lover slid one hand over his antenna. "Y-your pitiful attempts at d-distraction..." he began shakily, "w-will... will..."

Dib chuckled. "All hail the mighty Zim."

Skoodge- all but forgotten -looked on with embarrassed irritation. "The plan? Zim, the plan?"

The Irken made a dismissive motion. "Yeah, yeah, the plan... oh, right." His advisor sighed. "That is the plan."

Skoodge's eyes widened. "That's as far as you've thought it through?"

"The Tallest might be figureheads," Dib said suddenly- confidently, "but the populace's devotion is focused entirely on them. I know Lark would have thrown us both off a cliff if he thought that was the best way he could serve his Tallest. Even in defectives like Zim, devotion to their Tallest is the last thing to go; it was the last viable part of Lark's personality to hang around in me.

"My point being, eliminate the Tallest and you've got more Awakenings than you can deal with. The masses will lose the desire to obey their PAKs."

"Exactly!" Zim cried triumphantly. "Exactly the plan Zim thought up! The earth boy _steals_!"

The human continued as if uninterrupted. "It's important that the Tallest can be proved dead but their bodies aren't recovered; all of Irk seeing the bodies of their beloved leaders _will _backfire. In fact... we might even play this in a certain... light."

"The human overcomplicates things," Zim said dismissively. "Besides, Zim has already thought off all this, yes!" But Skoodge was riveted as Dib pushed off of Zim's shoulder and half fell into the table containing the map of Irk. Gripping its ledge to steady himself, he took a slow breath. Then he reached out, taking hold of the model of the Massive.

"... Our eventual goal is to usurp the Control Brains, correct?" Skoodge nodded. "Irken... burials..." There was a pause as the hybrid boy accessed the Collective still stored in his PAK, and then he grinned. "The newsfeed hooked right into every Irken's PAK- we need a window of time for a public service announcement of our own."

"Do you have any idea how hard that is?" Zim's advisor asked incredulously, and Dib smirked.

"Perhaps not as hard as you think."

Under the two questioning stares he received, Dib fiddled with the map for a moment. His breathing was labored by the time he finished, but he chuckled nonetheless, not turning but keeping his back to the two rapt Irkens.

"How's this sound: Headline- 'Massive sabotaged; Tallest believed dead. The Massive flew off course suddenly today, due to the sabotage of what many believe to be, oh... a radical rebel group.' We keep it vague; who were the rebels? No one needs to know. 'Though the,' shall we say... '_powers that be_ worked tirelessly, the ship met its doom.'" He chuckled. "Doom... what a great, nebulous word. Anyway, 'It is believed that... the Control Brains are holding the bodies of the deceased Tallest... though we have managed to recover...'" a rather sick grin split his face, widening unnaturally until it seemed it would outgrow him, "'one of their _heads_, unidentifiable due to... gouged out eyes. This call is going out to all Irkens loyal to the memory of beloved Tallest Red and Tallest Purple- help us recover their bodies. Rise up against the Brains; we must reclaim our Tallest so that they might be honored and... find rest.'"

The two Irkens stood in awe as Dib turned to face them, looking satisfied. Zim was the first to shake it off, scoffing.

"A truly ingenious plan, thought up by _Zim_! and presented by the Dib-worm!"

Dib smiled indulgently. "You just keep telling yourself that, Zim."

... ... ...

It wasn't until much later that Zim wandered back to their room, where the weary human had retired long ago. Dib was fast asleep, his PAK entering a sort of panic mode and attempting to recharge; Zim smiled, knowing full well that the precious, sleeping human was a rare sight.

Eventually, however, his natural impatience emerged and he couldn't resist leaning down, licking the human's nose by way of a wake up call. Dib spluttered softly, startled, then leaned up and surprised the Irken with a light kiss, never so much as opening his eyes.

"Zim..."

The Irken had only just begun to answer with a purr when he felt a stinging slap land across his face, sending him crashing to the floor with an unpleasant thump. Dib sat up, his eyes sparkling playfully.

"You kissed Lark more passionately than that, you jerk," he muttered, then smiled warmly and Zim, though currently sprawled on the floor, laughed.

"The Dib has not changed as much as Zim had thought. That is good." Standing and brushing himself off, he looked a touch mournfully over his frail little human- perhaps not as different as he had feared, but certainly changed irreparably. "Is the Dib hungry?"

The hybrid boy flushed a pinkish color that his Irken partner didn't find unattractive in the slightest. "A bit," he muttered, "... I guess."

Trying to appear haughty and failing, Zim stalked across the room, tossing over his shoulder, "GIR made waffles today."

Dib's face lit up. "Legit human waffles?"

"Of course," the Irken said carelessly, returning to the bed and perching on it's edge. Cutting a waffle with deliberate slowness, he picked it up with the alien instrument he had learned to use on earth- a fork. "Open."

Dib obediently opened his mouth, though he shot the alien a resentful look out of one eye. A pleasant sense of authority swept over Zim, and his smile grew a bit more honest. "The Dib-thing has grown mellow."

"Oh, I'm just tired, and you're just taking advantage of me," the human said, swallowing before adding, "you jerk."

"Zim is irresistible," the alien said. "Admit it."

"Never," Dib replied, the beginnings of a smile tugging at his mouth.

"And you said the earth would 'never' fall to me, either," Zim said flippantly, shoving the plate at him- the resulting scuffle coated them with syrup and left them both breathless, but also brightened both their hollow gazes. Finding himself staring down at his Dib, the Irken suddenly remembered what had driven him to their room to begin with.

"Ah... here," he began awkwardly, sitting up and rustling about in his PAK. He then produced the small bundle he had stashed there- seemingly years before. "... I found them in a recycle bin."

Dib grimaced. "Yeah. Lark threw them away." Fingering the alien fabrics thoughtfully, the human shed his Irken clothes and pulled on the old, familiar ones in their place. His T-shirt fit oddly over the PAK, and with Zim's help he removed the metal contraption; then two sloppy holes were cut in the shirt's back to reveal the surgical divots that sliced all the way down to his spine. The Irken winced at the sight of them, but didn't let Dib see his unease as he reattached the blue-spotted PAK.

"Also... these," he muttered, producing the fragile glasses. "The Dib needs them no more, but Zim thought... you might like to have them in your possession."

The hybrid boy nodded, accepting his glasses and then studying them. With careful thumbs he popped out the lenses, stowing them in his PAK before slipping the frames onto his face.

"They won't change a thing about me if I can help it."

Zim smiled, seeming pleased. "You look again like the Dib-thing."

"I still am the Dib-thing," the human said softly, taking a hesitant step forward. Such tenderness was rare in a relationship such as theirs- he was asking permission. And in reply, Zim came forward, wrapping his arms gently around his precious love, the human boy he had sacrificed everything for- and was willing to sacrifice even more in the name of.

… … …

Two short days later, such thoughts were far from Dib's mind; Zim was a bit more carefree, though that was typical.

But one thing did weigh on his mind, rising far above the arguably more important issues.

On the day when the plan was to be executed, Zim _woke_. He had slept the night before- an age old tradition of Irkens readying for battle. Though their PAKs allowed them to go without it, sleep was both strengthening and refreshing, though few ever indulged in it. Zim had the night before he set out for earth, and he did again the night before he was to wage war on the empire.

But he had woken to a note beside his bed.

_I see you've made it, you sorry little excuse for an invader,_ said the paper, scrawled in careful, loopy letters. _Good luck dying tomorrow._

And beside it had been a scrap of purple fabric, taking Zim abruptly back to his doomed search for Dib- waking in that alleyway with a compress on his forehead and a bag of waffles beside him.

But he pushed the strange happenings from his mind as the pair climbed into the Voot Cruiser in silence, Dib taking up his place at the remote controls and Zim at the helm; a hologram of Lard Narr materialized, the rest of the Resisty visible behind him.

"What's our status?" he asked. "The Resisty is ready at your command!"

Zim glanced back at Dib. "The uplink?" he asked, his voice grave.

The human smirked, flashing the Irken a look over his shoulder.

"All systems go, Almighty Smallest."

"Good luck, my Smallest!" Skoodge called up from the ground, saluting his friend with tears in his pale eyes. Zim returned the salute seriously.

"On Zim's mark, then!" the Smallest said, returning his attention to the helm. "Remote connection in 3... 2...

"1!"

"Got it!" Dib yelped, the view screen indicating the complete connection. "Let's go!"

The Cruiser left the ground with a whoosh, Zim angling it expertly up with the rag-tag rebel armada following. Dib tapped rapidly at the floating screens, pulling up the map with the course plotted out for the Massive- ending with a dramatic crash on Irk's dusty pole. With an undeniably gleeful grin, he jerked at the controls.

"Zim, we've got audio!" he announced, tapping the device on one ear. "Want me to put it on speaker? They won't be able to hear us."

Zim's evil laughter was the only answer he needed; the Tallest's startled cries filled the cockpit, harmonizing with the pair's maniacal laughter. It was with that music that the Cruiser flew up and up, high above the metallic surface of Irk. Zim flew deftly through the atmosphere, bursting out into open space to the sounds of a cheering resistance and the wailing Tallest.

"What's going on?" Purple was crying.

"It must be _Zim_!" Red spat. "That horrible little _defective_!"

Zim's laughter dried abruptly. With a sudden air of life-or-death seriousness, he tapped at one panel, triggering a loud beeping that echoed around the small ship.

"Hailing the Tallest," the computer announced, and Dib whipped around.

"Zim?!"

The Irken didn't respond, only waited. When his hail went unanswered- possibly due to half the Massive's systems being off line -he stood and shoved Dib roughly aside, leaning into the remote controls. The ship jerked, suddenly unmanned, and Dib leaped wildly for the wheel before they spun off course.

"Uplink expanding... two way audio achieved," the computer declared, and Zim leaned into the microphone.

"My Tall_est_!" he shouted, nearly deafening poor Dib- who had very little experience piloting Irken ships to begin with and so was already rather frazzled. "This is the Almighty Smallest! This is _Zim!_, the greatest invader in Irken history!"

"Zim!" the Tallest screamed in unison, but the Smallest paid them no heed.

"So great, in fact," he continued, "that I now lead the invasion of my own planet! Prepare yourselves, for this Defective will be made a fool of no longer!"

With his words ringing in the air he cut the connection, storming back over and snatching the controls from Dib, half-shoving the human back towards the remote. His lover watched with something softer than pity as the Irken commander turned to the view screen, refusing to meet his gaze. After a moment, he tapped on the console.

"Lard Narr, come in," he said authoritatively, and the Resisty's leader materialized.

"Awaiting your orders, Smallest!"

"Have the Meekrob gotten into position?" Receiving an affirmative grunt, he nodded. "We'll be flying the armada straight toward your net; tell them we'll be arriving within ten minutes. Dib! You heard me, pig-smelly! Steer the Massive!"

Dib looked down, focusing on his task instead of the little Irken whose shoulders trembled so slightly.

_My... Tallest... _

Shoving down the unexpected voice in his head, Dib wrenched the Massive into a sadistic spin; Zim chuckled softly, aware of it.

_No...! My Tallest! _

Dib winced, caught off guard by the force of the voice; it sounded like his, yet was unmistakably alien.

_Lark...! _

_M-My Tallest...!_the Irken worker drone wailed, bucking inside the human and for an instant seizing the controls, righting the Tallest's ship. But Dib was quick to shove him back where he belonged: the PAK.

_I'm _me_!_ he snapped. _You won't change that! _

Lark was still there, though, just as the last vestiges of Zim's programming were battling to survive.

_Our... Tallest... _

The Voot Cruiser swerved, jolting Dib from his thoughts. Shaking his head, he grabbed the joystick and focused on his task of steering the Massive toward its doom. Zim seemed unreachable, staring with deliberate intensity at the main screen. And that was how they flew, in silence, toward the Fate of the Irken empire.

... ... ...

The Voot Cruiser made fairly good time, leading the patchwork rebellion true toward the far larger Irken Armada. The sight of the Massive in convulsions made Lark scream with physical pain, and Dib nearly retched; he swallowed the reaction, though, glancing anxiously at Zim. The Irken seemed not to have noticed, his own body rigid as he pulled the microphone from the console.

"Meekrob commander, come in. This is the Almighty Smallest; come in."

There was a sizzling of energy and a Meekrob messenger materialized in the cockpit; being made of pure energy meant that communicators were intolerably primitive.

"Yes, Smallest, we are ready," the being said, then fluttered over to Dib. "What a strange creature you are," it said with interest. "Human but with an Irken PAK... I sense two polarized personas battling inside you, humanling."

Dib flinched, seeing that Zim's attention was suddenly riveted on him. "I'm fine," he muttered. "I'm Dib."

The Meekrob hung suspended for an instant longer, then floated back to Zim. "Smallest, we will flank the Armada from the far side, as agreed; the Resisty and your forces will cover this side. And you will deal with the Tallest, correct?"

"I will," the Smallest said gravely. "Zim will not let you down."

"Very well," the Meekrob said. "We are putting our trust in you despite your race, Irken. Watch yourself." With that, the alien fizzled and vanished, leaving Dib and Zim alone once more.

"... Lark is still bothering the Dib?"

Dib nodded self-consciously. "But it's fine, really. He's... just an echo."

"Good."

Returning to their respective controls, the pair fell silent. After a moment, Zim activated the communication system.

"Resisty, Irken defectives, this is your Smallest, Zim!" he announced. "Our siege on the Irken Armada begins now! Now, for freedom! Attack! Attack, I say!"

Ships buzzed past the Voot Cruiser, a firestorm of lasers and the such lighting up the black space. The Massive continued to hobble, leaving the preoccupied Armada in its wake. Zim eased the Cruiser after it, climbing carefully through the battle and pulling up alongside it.

"Dib..."

Looking over in surprise, the human met the other's stern gaze; all words dried on his tongue, seeing Zim staring at him in such a way.

"I've linked the Cruiser's controls to the Massive's," the Smallest said softly. "You control both now, earthaniod."

Dib blinked, the beginnings of alarm taking hold. "Zim, you..."

"I have unfinished business on the Massive," the Irken said simply. Then he leaned down; kissed the earthaniod's forehead. "Zim will be back, little pig-smelly. Do not worry."

Without waiting for a reply, the Almighty Smallest activated his helmet and slipped from the Voot Cruiser, leaving the human staring after him in confused dismay, calling out too late,

"Zim...!"

**(A/N) Cliffy. I know I'm evil. Don't hate. **

**Reviewers get hints! **


	7. The Death of a Defective

**(A/N) Things are about to take a pretty dark turn. Brace yourselves. **

**I... am so sick. I feel like a Irken who's swallowed a bucket of putrid earth-water. But I just couldn't leave you guys on such a cliffy. So I apologize for any typos, and please enjoy the next chapter of Defective, "The Death of a Defective." **

**Just so you know, I don't really support RaPr; I think of it more as a sibling relationship. But you're welcome to interpret this chapter any way you'd like. **

**Many thanks to xXFemkeXX, LadyCerebellum, Lileipad, Flameear, and daydreamgirl14 for reviewing! I'd hug you guys, but I don't want to spread my illness… P:**

**I do not own Invader Zim or any of the characters portrayed here. **

Zim skittered along the hull of the Massive, eyes narrowed and fixed on one point just in front of his face. He had a few loose ends to tie up, and not even the Dib-human could convince him to let such things go. Disregarding the battle raging in the airspace all around him, he climbed toward where he knew the escape hatch would be. Typing a code into the device on his wrist, he leaned in.

"Prisoner 777, come in," he said, and static answered him. Scowling, he punched in another code. "Prisoner 777, answer Zim! Answer Zim _now_!"

The airspace crackled, suddenly filled with the sounds of utter chaos. "Zim!" came the excited vortian's voice. "Zim, this is incredible! All of Vort is in an uproar! They say you've-"

"Yesyes, the time for singing the praises of _Zim _will come later," the Irken said dismissively. "I need you to send a portable copy of the Massive's schematics."

"Sure thing!" the prisoner said jovially, and the communication device began beeping wildly. A three dimensional hologram came up, depicting the Massive's innards. "It's voice controlled. Handy, right?"

"Excellent," Zim muttered, scaling the remaining length of metal and clambering into the hatch, feeling the very air tremble with the force of the battle. Once inside, he found himself in deathly silent blackness, and felt his way down the rungs by faith alone. Once on solid ground, he felt around for the door; he found it, and he let his metal limbs creep from his PAK. For as soon as he emerged, his life would be in the balance.

The hand on his shoulder nearly stopped his heart equivalent; it did short circuit his PAK as it was, and Zim was unconscious for a split second as it restarted. Then he spun, pulling up the hologram for some amount of dim light, holding it out and finding himself face to face with...

A complete stranger.

"Here," the little table-headed service drone said, holding something up. "You're after the Tallest, right? This might help."

Zim accepted the package carefully, eyeing the tiny Irken with something not quite as harsh as mistrust. "Why do you want to help Zim? Are you a defective?"

The drone shrugged. "Maybe. I... never gave it much thought. Most Irkens don't, you know. But... you, Zim... I've just spent so long cheering for you, I couldn't help it."

Though Zim didn't understand the words, he felt something almost foreign wash through him. It was so powerful, in fact, that he knelt down and removed the tabletop from the Irken's head, replacing it with his own helmet.

"Climb up and wait on the hull."

Regardless of whether or not he fully understood what Zim was doing, the service drone obeyed instantly. Watching him climb the ladder until darkness claimed his form, the Smallest punched in a number on his communicator.

"Dib, there's a defective waiting on the hull of the Massive. Come pick him up."

He heard the human start to respond, but cut the communication before he could. Then he turned his attention to the package, eyeing it carefully and then unwrapping the clumsily done paper.

... ... ...

"The power core! Beam it of the ship!" Red screamed; the poor technicians hammered at their screens and keyboards, all to no avail.

"O-Our transporters are off line...!"

"Then get them back on!" the Tallest screamed. "Get them back online this instant!"

Purple was sobbing, a lurch of the ship sending him tumbling into Red. "I-I... I didn't want to be Tallest...!" he sobbed. "I just _was _the Tallest! The Control Brains said...!" He cut off with a squeal as a Meekrob ship flew across the view screen, clinging tighter to his partner. "They said nothing like this would happen...! I just wanted to be loved...!"

The ship swayed wildly and the two leaders were pitched to one side. "Hold us steady!" Red shrieked at the terrified pilots, putting one arm around his counterpart's shoulders. "You incompetent fools! Get the ship under control!"

"B-But Sir...!" a technician whimpered, and suddenly Red's eyes were wild.

"Questioning your Tallest?" he roared. "Are you a defective? Are you?!"

The worker cringed, crying, "N-No, my T-Tallest! Tallest Red have mercy on me!"

"No one questions the Tallest!" the irate leader screamed. "Now get this blasted hunk of _junk _under _Irken _control once more!"

"It _is _under Irken control."

A blast sailed past Tallest Red's antenna, fizzling into the wall as the leader froze; he tightened his grip on Purple, so much so that the other leader couldn't even squeak.

"Turn around slowly," came the soft voice. "Turn and face your end, scum."

Red stayed perfectly still, only shuffling his feet in a careful circle, rotating Purple with him. Then his eyes lit; faced with the small invader, the question was out of Purple's mouth before he could stop it.

"Who are you?"

"Prepare to face your _doom_, my Tallest!"

The pair of leaders spun in the other direction to see a second tiny Irken, blaster in hand, chief's hat falling into his eyes. Shaking his head to rid himself of the disguise, he cocked the other present which had been in the package.

Red's eyes were blazing, head swiveling back towards the first threat. But there was only empty space behind the leaders now, not a blaster-wielding rebel. Blinking in confusion, Red spun back.

"Zim!" he spat, trying to suppress Purple's whimpering. "You filthy little earthanoid defective!"

Zim didn't flinch. "Such high praise is indeed deserved by Zim."

Tallest and Smallest stood facing one another, each frozen. From one side, a guard approached hesitantly amid the noise of Irkens still trying to follow the last order they had been given: try to regain control of the Massive. But one defective guard acted, lunging for Zim in an attempt to defend his beloved Tallest.

The Smallest fired without hesitation, the blast frying one of Purple's antenna. The Tallest shrieked and the guard stalled, Zim suddenly in total control.

"He'll lose the other if you take one more step," the leader of the resistance said seriously, his face devoid of all emotion for once. The guard backed away, and Zim glanced curiously at him. "You're a defective; Zim can tell. Get off this ship while you can."

"I-I serve my T-Tallest..." the poor creature stammered, and Zim sighed.

"So does Zim. Zim has always served his Tallest."

"Then stop being mean to us, Zim!" Purple wailed, his remaining antenna twitching wildly.

The Smallest didn't flinch. "I'm not being mean. I'm just being Zim. For I am Zim!"

... ... ...

Dib was nearly in tears from a twisted combination of rage and worry, sitting in the cockpit of the Voot Cruiser with only a defective service drone for company. He steered the Massive carefully, now, knowing that Zim was on board; he had been trying to reestablish an audio connection since the Irken left, but only succeeded after nearly half an hour.

"Zim! Zim, get away! Stop waving that thing around!"

Red's furious voice sent chills up Dib's spine. He knew that the drone had given Zim a blaster, but hearing the leader's words made it real.

"Zim _serves _his Tallest, but he does not _obey _his Tallest," the Smallest said casually. "Now tell me! Why do you mock Zim?"

"Because you're a moron, Zim...!" Purple blubbered. "Because you _can't _be an invader...!"

"I'm not an invader!" the rebel snapped. "Zim is the Smallest! You will bow to the Smallest! Bow, bow this instant!"

"The Tallest, bow to the Smallest?" Red asked incredulously. "You're crazier than we thought!"

The sound of a blaster fizzled over the link and Dib winced, but both the Tallest could be heard afterwards, and the human felt relief wash through him.

"Yes, good..." Zim sounded satisfied, presumably as the Tallest went to their knees. "Now, my Tallest... you decide which of you lives."

Dib stiffened as silence crackled across the link, and he found himself holding his breath. Then came the inevitable sigh.

"Zim... spare Purple, then."

"What?" the chosen Irken gasped. "N-no, Red, you can't die...! Not... Zim! Zim, stop this! Please!"

The Smallest ignore Purple's cries. "My Tallest... you made Zim _beg _for the Dib-human's life. Now you beg for _his _life. Beg, beg now! Before Zim decides... otherwise."

"Zim..." the listening human whispered, tears coming to his eyes. "You... begged for my life...?"

"Visual link established," the computer announced. "Link is two-way. Connect?"

"Yes..." Dib breathed, and the screen flashed. There was Zim, standing straight and proud before the Tallest, who were bent double. His antennae were up, swiveling, and the blaster in his hand was pointed straight at Purple's trembling form; the Tallest was already missing one antennae. Red was staring at the Defective with hate-filled eyes, and the workers were still swarming about, mindlessly following their last received order.

Or perhaps they were simply allowing things to play out.

"Now _grovel_!" Zim commanded, flicking the blaster. "Or I'll kill him now!"

Red ground his teeth, but nevertheless pressed his forehead to the ground. "Please... _Zim_..."

"_Almighty_... Smallest," Zim corrected, striking a pose. As he did so he caught sight of Dib, watching rapt through the main screen, but didn't react to the audience.

"Almighty... Smallest," Red began again. "Please... spare Purple. He may not be a Defective, but he won't be any trouble, not like me."

Zim made small circles with his free hand. "Yes? And...?"

A shudder passed through the Tallest's body as his counterpart watched in reverent silence. "Please... Almighty Smallest... have _mercy_. I give you _my _life... I give you _everything_, just... please spare him. He's a child. Just a... smeet. He won't be any trouble. Almighty Smallest..." His voice dropped suddenly, head drooping. "Please, Zim. Please."

The Defective was silent, then twirled his blaster. "Very well. Zim promised to give up being an Invader; Zim gave his whole life. So you've been... adequate."

Red made to rise, but noting his head was in the crosshairs made him stop. "Zim...?"

"Now..." the Smallest mused, scratching one antennae casually. "My Tallest spared the Dib... but how did they return him to Zim? Let's see... ah yes." He laughed for a moment, seeming to all but dissolve into a fit of dark giggling, then abruptly sobered.

"Damaged."

The blaster sang and Dib, hitting upon it an instant too late, flung himself against the screen.

"Zim, no!"

Purple screamed wordlessly as the blast struck his PAK in a shower of metal and wires, and Red lurched forward uselessly; Zim was laughing again, a twinge of insanity shallowly embedded in the sound, and he positioned the weapon again, firing thoughtlessly and shooting down several borderline defectives who made to help their beloved Tallest.

"Wh... Pur... Zim, what is this?" Red asked in a frail voice. "I did... I..."

"I've returned him to you," the invader said slyly, "but not intact. Damaged; just like my Dib-human. Now... you gave Zim your life...?"

"Zim, stop!" Dib wailed over the screen, but again went unheard. In desperation as Zim leveled the blaster, he jerked the Massive's controls and sent the ship spinning. The Smallest was pitched forward, slipping in a patch of blood and colliding with the softly keening Purple. Shoving himself away from the Tallest, he spun towards the monitor.

"Why does the Dib interfere?!" he demanded, and Dib bit his lip.

"... It's enough, Zim," he said finally. "Zim, it's enough. Don't... don't be like them, Zim, please."

Zim ground his teeth, lips drawn back. "You foolish, blind pig-smelly! You have _no _idea-!"

"Zim, you need to get off that ship, regardless!" Dib snapped, leaning forward. "We're almost to Irk! You need to get off that ship!"

"Run? Never!" the Irken shrieked. "Zim will-!"

The Massive lurched sickeningly, cutting Zim off. As the Smallest went tumbling Dib squealed, "That wasn't me!" The ship swung wildly, sending Zim and a dozen Irken pilots slamming into the wall. Fire blazed across the main window as alarms began to blare, the human's frantic voice blending with the sirens.

"Zim, you've entered Irk's atmosphere! I can't control this ship, Zim! I've lost control of the ship! Zim! Zim!"

The Smallest staggered to his feet, clinging to a nearby, freestanding console for support. Then he saw Red, standing with Purple in his arms, the disabled Tallest's PAK plugged into the computer itself; a grin was painted sloppily across Red's tear-stained face.

"An Irken PAK-" he said softly, "the most powerful peice of technology in all the galaxies."

The ship lurched again, heat rippling through the air. Dib was panicking, hands flying across keyboards and screens. "I can't... Zim, something's blocked me out! The temperature controls are gone! Zim, can you get off the ship?! Zim?!"

A crack rippled up the screen, splitting the human's frantic face in half. Irkens were screaming now, bashed against the ship's walls and burned on the hull; a few we're already dead. The Smallest felt raw fear fill him, and suddenly he was desperate to hear his human's voice.

"How is the battle going?" he asked abruptly, his eyes still fixed in Red, his ears closed to everything save for Dib's voice. And instantly his better half understood.

"It's going well!" he answered in a rush. "We're winning, Zim! Th-the Meekrob are here and... jeez, these guys are scary-powerful! Zim, the Defectives... we haven't had one fatality yet...! Zim, they're... cheering for you, Almighty Smallest! All the rebels... we're cheering for you...!"

"Tell Zim more," the defective said, his voice strained as the Massive bucked.

"I'm... Zim, we're going to do it...! It's going to work...!" Dib said; promised. "Skoodge is... reporting that the armada is on the run! We'll... when this is over, we'll...!" The human's voice broke abruptly, tears streaming down his face. "I love you, Zim! This is all-!"

"Don't!" Zim wailed; begged. "Tell Zim how we're going to win! Then what, Dib-thing? Then what, Dib?"

Irkens were dying as Dib composed himself, their screaming breaking through Zim's carefully constructed shield. Tallest Red never moved, not once, and the Smallest kept unseeing eyes fixed on him.

"... It'll be glorious," the human answered finally, his voice steady. "Zim... you'll live forever."

The screen fizzled, sparking and then going dark, the ship's dying circuits finally giving out. Zim's senses remained blurred by his own choice; he saw only hazy shapes and motion; heard only white noise and the echo of Dib's words.

The Massive was starting to break apart; Purple's breath was hitching and slowing ominously. Still Red kept his eyes fixed on Zim, and Zim likewise kept his eyes fixed on Red. With Dib gone, the Tallest was the only real thing the tiny defective had left.

The grate of metal on metal split the air as the hull began to cleave apart, and the screaming dropped in volume tellingly. Wind rushed in around the two enemies, but neither paid it any heed. Only Purple showed any sign of responsiveness, raising his head weakly as if toward the fresh air of his planet.

"It's over, Zim."

"For you as well."

A chunk of metal splintered up, cutting the Tallest and the Smallest off from one another at last. The console that anchored Zim to reality lurched, it's base cracking and detaching; he paid it no heed, simply accepted it as fact. There were no tears in his eyes, no final words on his lips; it was over, and that was all. He was to die, and that was all.

So he closed his eyes and thought of his Dib.

"Need a hand, you sorry excuse for an Irken invader?"

"Tak!" Zim's eyes flashed open, the name out of his mouth before he even registered it, and suddenly he felt his antenna grabbed roughly. He was lifted from the ground, wailing indignantly as he was hauled up and into the cockpit of a ship- a modified Spittle-Runner. His antenna were held painfully for another instant, then he felt himself thrust away to collide with a control panel.

"Hold on!" came the hard-as-nails British voice. The ship swerved wildly, explosions echoing around them and debris bouncing off the metal hull with a sound like earth hail. "This'll get rougher than you're used to!"

"Zim!"

Red's voice was both unexpected and terrifying; Zim leapt to his feet, only to be unbalanced and slam into Tak, who shoved him away with a snarl of, "Tryin' to fly, 'ere!"

The rebel commander landed awkwardly against the rear window of the Runner, looking back to see the bloodied Tallest in pursuit. Something volatile bubbled up inside him and he reached for the hatch, shouting, "I have to finish him!"

"Oh no you don't!" Tak snapped, reaching back casually and grabbing his shirt, hauling him toward her until their hips cracked painfully into one another's. "I just went through the trouble of saving your sorry arse _again_; you won't be committing suicide on my watch!"

Zim writhed, eyes locked on Red. "Let me go! You shall not stop Zim! Nothing can stop Zim!"

"You'll only destroy yourself!" the she-Irken screamed, then looked away. "Not after all my work to keep your sorry arse intact."

The Spittle Runner was wrenched into a sudden spin and Tak grit her teeth, trying in vain to control their wild flight. Zim, thrown to the side, crashed into the hatch; the collision forced the door open abruptly, and the Smallest found himself dangling amid the wreckage of the Massive. Finding himself there so suddenly stole his ambitions to finish Red, and he scrabbled desperately in an attempt to climb back up into the Spittle Runner.

"T-Tak...!" he gasped. "I've seen smeets who could fly better!"

"J-Just hang on!" the female Irken spluttered. "We need to get free of this wreck of a ship!"

But that was easier said than done, and they had simply run out of time. What was left of the Massive hit the dusty surface of Irk with a jarring crash, rolling over and over and tumbling across the empty expanse of rock and soil. Tak shrieked as she and Zim were wrenched apart, though she chose to cling to her ship rather than follow him. The Smallest was tossed about as if caught in a hurricane, dashed against computers and dead bodies. Then he was thrown free of the wreckage altogether, bouncing painfully across the ground and at last sliding to a halt amid a cloud of dust. Staggering to his feet, he turned to look back at the Massive.

Nothing recognizable remained of the great ship; all that was left was twisted, creaking metal and bodies- so many bodies that they spilled out onto the surface of the murdered planet. Zim shivered, clutching his shoulders, trying to block out the images of agony and death flashing before his eyes.

And then the shape appeared, shuffling in a half-dead manner from within the remains of the Massive. Zim didn't move as he approached; he couldn't move. And so the gap between them closed, and kept closing until barely an earth-foot separated them.

"He's dead, Zim," the Tallest rasped, his PAK sparking for some unexplained reason. "Is that what you wanted? You wanted me to see him die? You wanted me to hold him as his breath stopped?"

Zim winced but didn't reply, looking down. Red brought his face closer, leaning almost double.

"Listen to me, Zim," he said softly, in that authoritative tone he had always used to address the wayward little invader. "It doesn't matter what title you carry; it doesn't matter what others think. You… will always be… an incompetent, vindictive, selfish creature. You aren't worthy to be called Irken, Zim. You'll never know what sacrifice is; you'll never comprehend the sacrifices I made to keep Purple and our civilization alive.

"Because you're still just a defective little smeet."

And then the Tallest folded in on himself, his PAK fizzling as he hit the ground, dead; as dead as Purple.

Zim stared, numb, and then slowly began to back up. Hands out, he backed away from the Tallest's body, shaking his head deliberately.

"No… no, Zim didn't do this… and Zim… no, Zim is Irken… Zim is an invader…!"

_Selfish…_

_Vindictive…_

_Incompetent…_

_Smeet._

"No!" the Smallest screamed, clutching his head as if hoping to keep it intact. "No, no, nooo! This isn't happening, this isn't happening!"

Falling to his knees without so much as noticing, Zim tried in vain to catch his breath. But no matter how much he clutched at himself, he still felt as though his body was being torn apart by a thousand claws.

"Class…!" he gasped out, grinding his forehead into the soil of his home planet. "I'm still in Ms. Bitter's class…! I've… fallen asleep! Yes, Zim has fallen asleep! Ha! The Dib will wake him up and…! Dib! Dib, wake Zim up, please! Please!"

But no one answered the little invader, for he had only a corpse beside him. And so he cried there alone, wailing for any relief- any escape from the horrible, perverted nightmare-world he had found himself in.

"I am Zim…!" he choked, mud- a combination of his tears and his own crumbling planet –working its way into every part of his being, blinding his eyes and clotting between his grasping fingers.

And he went unheard, completely alone; just a malfunctioning Irken invader cut off from all he held to be fact.

**(A/N) Well, that was a ride, hmm? Anybody else wonder why Tak hadn't appeared yet? Because I had plans. ;P **

**The next chapter is called "Delving into You." Please review for a hint! Reviews always make my day. :3 **

**I'm going to crawl back into bed now... **


	8. Delving Into You

**(A/N) IF SOMETHING ABOUT THIS CHAPTER SEEMS A BIT OFF, A BIT OOC JUST TRUST ME- it's on purpose, I assure you. All will be explained. ;3 **

**This is shorter and less eventful than most chapters. :/ I needed to split this one and the next, so... **

**I love writing dialogue for Tak. :3 Do me a huge favor and read her lines with an English accent. xD **

**Thanks to daydreamgirl14, "Rooting for Zim," LadyCerebellum, Book Casanova, Samsam1155, Greath, and coffeedragon for reviewing! Dang, you guys made the last chapter the most reviewed chapter of the whole fic! I also got some of the nicest reviews I've ever gotten for that chapter! Seriously, everyone, **_**thank you**_**! *passes out waffles* **

**One last note: I'm not positive that I got to answering everyone's reviews with hints. I sincerely apologize if I didn't. ;A; This last little period has just been... nuts. -_-U **

**I do not own Invader Zim. **

"Zim? Zim?! Zim, come in! Zim!"

Dib's desperate cries went unanswered, Bob and Skoodge looking on anxiously. But the Smallest didn't answer; the Massive was dying on the planet's surface and, for all they knew, so was Zim.

"I-I'm going down there…!" the human announced, standing. But Skoodge was instantly on top of him, holding him to his chair. The stout Irken had magically materialized in the Voot, or so it seemed- he had actually transported in while Dib was quite thoroughly distracted by the drama playing out on the Massive, and had been a silent observer for some time.

"No! I promised Smallest Zim that no harm would come to you!" the Irken objected. But it was a simple matter for a determined Dib to throw him off using one of his PAK's extensions.

"I'm going!" he snapped. "I don't care what happens, but I can't just leave him to die!"

"We're not!" Skoodge retorted. "But nothing will be gained by you going down there! We don't know how many loyal Irkens survived; we don't know if Red survived!"

Dib was beyond reasoning. "I'm going to find Zim!"

The Irken advisor knew he was on the losing end of the argument, but was about to put up one last token of resistance when the Voot Cruiser shook as if struck, and all three passengers looked sharply to see another ship clinging to theirs.

"Oi!" Tak shouted through both layers of glass and the empty space in between. "My communicators are down! Let me in!"

Skoodge started to say something, but was cut off by Dib's blunt and decisive, "No!"

The female Irken jerked back. "What? What're you talking about, you idiotic human?"

"I'm not so weak anymore, Tak!" the boy snapped, bristling.

"It's about Zim, you weak-minded moron!" Tak yelled back, and Skoodge looked at the human.

"I think we should let her in, Dib," he advised (as was his duty as an advisor). "She is a defective, after all."

"I'm not a bloody defective!" the female Irken screamed. "I'm not a defective, damn you all! But I have information about that bloody little defective Zim! So let me in before I shred my vocal cords!"

Reluctantly Dib passed space helmets to his two companions, then donned one himself. His PAK provided all the additional protection he needed as he opened the ship, allowing the female Irken to slip inside. With a cross huff, she stripped her heavy space gear off.

"There's a crack in my ship's hull," she explained sorely. "It'll be collapsing soon. It's a wonder it made it this far, considering the fall it took when the Massive went down."

"You were onboard the Massive when it crashed?" Skoodge asked, and Tak nodded.

"On board and with your precious Smallest," she said. "He beat me to the Tallest. Well, technically I beat him, but I let him have a go anyway. That sorry bundle of flesh is back on the surface just waiting to die. If you want to save him before he does, you'd better get moving."

That was all the invitation Dib needed; shoving past Tak and Skoodge, he grabbed a space suit from the closet near the hatch. Ignoring objections from both Skoodge and Bob, he donned said suit and then fixed his helmet into place, powering up the built-in rockets in his PAK. He took hold of the hatch's leaver then, only to find Tak's hand planted firmly over his.

"You have gotten stronger, little worm," she said, something like respect in her voice. "Don't get yourself killed." And with those words, she was the one who pushed down his hand and the lever beneath it, opening the hatch and ushering the human out into the vacuum of space.

It was an easy task for Dib to navigate using the rockets in his PAK, despite his inexperience; the machine was, after all, hooked directly to his brain. So he flew uninterrupted to Irk, honing in on the ravaged portion where the Massive had crashed. The wreckage wasn't hard to spot, and Dib touched down just at the tip of one engine. Stretching his neck up, he strained to see out over the wasteland, his optic implants adjusting in an almost dizzying manner.

"..." Biting his lip, he swiveled in the other direction, peering out over the dusty planet. _Zim... _

And then, amid all the destruction and flaming debris, he made out two tiny forms. His eyes shifted focus again, zooming in...

"Zim!"

Calling the Irken's name with a broken voice, Dib bounded down the wreck and scrabbled across the crumbling planet, slipping and nearly falling, catching himself with one hand and struggling to keep his feet. Leaping over the Tallest's body, he slid to a stop beside the tiny, huddled shape.

And froze.

Zim's eyes were wide open, his face streaked with mud made from his own tears. His mouth was gaping as he panted, soft but rasping sobs dragged from his trembling form. His wounded body was nothing in Dib's eyes, not compared to the bruised and battered soul that the human was seeing for the first time. And that damage had not been- could not have been -inflicted in a day, not a week, not a year.

A lifetime.

"Zim..." Legs folding, Dib knelt over his lover, almost afraid to touch him. "What did I miss...? All those years of hating you... and loving you. When did I miss all this... damage?"

Folding his arms around the trembling Irken, he felt his own grief begin to build. He shoved it away, though, for his own emotions would come later. Zim jumped, seeming startled by the physical contact, and wrenched his body upright.

"Dib!" he exclaimed, his eyes bright despite the tears. "Zim knew you would come! The Dib..."

And with that he slumped against the hunan's chest, exhausted; unconscious.

Dib swallowed hard, his throat aching sharply as he lifted the Almighty Smallest from the ground, slinging him over his back. Poking around the remains of the Massive for nearly an hour yielded a partially functioning com unit, and he managed to hail the Voot Cruiser. Tak was piloting the ship when it landed, and Dib let her remain there; he would much rather stay at the rear with the Smallest cradled in his lap.

"That idiotic lump of Irken flesh," Tak was muttering, seeming to vent her frustration through her flying; she weaved dangerously through the wreckage and then up into the open air, flooring the accelerator.

Dib ran gentle hands along the Irken's antenna, gazing with soft sadness at the muddied and tear-stained face. Tearing a strip from his threadbare shirt, he moistened it with a bit of saliva and began to clean the warm green skin. Skoodge flushed, looking away from the tender moment, the likes of which could only occurs when one or the other was unconscious. But a moment later his attention was drawn back by Dib's worried- if not alarmed -voice.

"... Skoodge...? Could you... come over here for a second...?"

Instantly the advisor was there, his eyes wild when he saw what had caused the human to call out. "What's going on?!"

"I-I don't know...!" the boy stammered, alarmed, now, in light of Skoodge's reaction. "It just started to spark like this...!"

As Dib said, the Smallest's PAK was crackling with sparks, their frequency increasing steadily. Skoodge flipped him over expertly, though he kept him on the human's lap; cracking stubby fingers, he opened the PAK deftly.

"Ow!" Wincing as sparks singed his hands, the Irken advisor rustled through wires and circuits, ignoring the human's worried hovering. His motions became more frantic as he went, though, and his face paled. "Th-there's... nothing wrong here...!" he whispered shakily. "It's almost... like...

"He's trying to shut it down _himself...!" _

"Zim, you jerk!" Dib's voice shattered the air, startling everyone on board. The human's face was flushed, and he grabbed Skoodge's collar. "Can he hear me?"

Receiving a nervous "I-I don't think so...!" the human scowled.

"Make it so he _can_. I have a few things to say before the great Smallest kills himself."

"That's impossible!" Skoodge squeaked. "If his PAK isn't functioning-!"

"But it _is _functioning," Dib persisted. "Zim's just being an insufferable _jerk_. So get _my _consciousness into _his _PAK. I've had his personality in _my _head before, when his PAK attached to me, so it should be possible to transfer a _consciousness_, too."

The poor advisor was stunned. "I-I guess it's _possible _in _theory, _b-b-but-!"

"Then do it!" Dib snapped. "We don't have the time to figure something else out!"

"You've gotten stronger but dumber, Dib!" Tak called from the cockpit.

The human stuck his tongue out in her general direction as Skoodge opened his PAK, fiddling with the wires. "I-Is it your personality that's stored in here...?" he asked hesitantly. "What if _Lark _is the one that comes through...?"

That made Dib come up short. Then he cursed- colorfully, in Irken -and looked down at Zim. "You're right... ugh! Fine! Knock me out and I'll talk to that sniveling little Irken! Connect me to Zim after... two minutes. It'll be me that gets through, I promise."

Skoodge looked almost lime green. "Kn-kn-knock you out?! Bu-but... I-I can't...!"

"That's the only way I can talk to Lark!" Dib insisted.

"B-But...!" Skoodge whimpered, bouncing from foot to foot. "I-I-I c-can't...!"

"Skoodge!" the human snapped. "Zim's life might-!" Suddenly his voice died, eyes rolling back in his head as he slumped over Zim's body. Skoodge squealed, half in fear and half in shock as Tak became visible, improvised bat in hand.

"I didn't do that because Zim's life might be on the line," she informed the unconscious boy. "I did it to shut you up."

"Tak!" the trembling Irken advisor squeaked, his skin a perfectly healthy hue for a human. "I-I... wait, who's piloting the Cruiser?!"

"I-I'm... _flying_...!" Bob gasped, a single spot of happiness among it all.

... ... ...

Dib opened his eyes to darkness. At least, he thought he opened his eyes- the blackness was so complete that he honestly couldn't tell.

_I'm... unconscious...? How...?_

_Tak._

Making a mental note to have his revenge later (after, of course, he thanked the Irken girl), Dib reached out one hand hesitantly. Nothing; only empty space.

"... Lark...?" he called, hoping for a reply. He had only spoken to the Irken persona directly once before, briefly, when he had been knocked unconscious by the Tallest. He heard the worker drone's voice more than he let on, though, sometimes even in his own words when he spoke aloud. "Lark?"

That first conversation had been when he reasserted himself as the dominant personality; he hoped that this second time wasn't all the window that Lark needed to flip their positions again.

"Lark? Come on, I know you're here!" he called, beginning to walk. The darkness was disconcerting, but there was a surface beneath his feet, even if he couldn't see it. So he paced deeper into the recesses of his mind, searching uselessly for the other being he knew shared it.

_I told Skoodge to connect me to Zim in two minutes... and I could hear everything Lark heard, when _he _was dominant. Could he... be waiting it out...? Could he be waiting for a chance to slip free...?_

Suddenly, a faint blue glow appeared ahead. Trotting forward, Dib peered at it, aware of just how unnatural the glow was. Eyes adjusting quickly, he came to the border of his own mind, where darkness ended and a tangle of glowing blue wires began; a portal of sorts.

_The PAK...!_

Leaving the security of his own cozy, black unconsciousness, Dib ventured into the tangled wilderness of the PAK. One hand on a vine-like wire, he stepped over another and pressed on, feeling as if he were trekking through a jungle. Electricity tingled up his spine, and he craned his neck in an attempt to see through the mess of blue-tinted technological unconscious.

"Lark?"

He heard a rustling to his left; jumped. Diving through a particularly nasty net of cables, he found himself in a small, hazy clearing, a creature unsettlingly identical to him huddled in one corner.

"Lark!" the human snapped, striding forward. The Irken worker drone turned slowly, tears in his round eyes.

"Y-You look like me...!" he exclaimed, sounding like a child. Dib felt an unexplained pang of guilt, his expression softening.

"I'm not you, Lark," he said, kneeling down to the other's level. "I'm Dib. This is... well, this is my body you're in. We've spoken before."

"Y-You're the one...!" Lark gasped out, scrambling backwards suddenly. "Our Tallest...! I mean, your... no, _my _Tallest! You killed my Tallest!"

Dib sighed. _I can see why Zim got so frustrated... when Lark was me._"Lark, listen to me. I need you to stay here. There's going to be a pathway that opens up; I need to be the one to go down it."

"I'll stay here," the Irken worker agreed warily. "I'll take my body again. I will. And then we'll see who's sorry."

The human winced. "Lark, the Tallest... they weren't who you thought they were. They weren't who any Irken thought they were. But now they're gone, and the Empire will be so much better off for it. I promise."

"But I'm not a defective!" Lark wailed suddenly, making Dib wince. "I'm not a defective, and neither is most of Irk! What do you plan to do with them- with us? They won't buy that the Control Brains had the Tallest killed, they'll just see that the Tallest are dead! You don't think that the Brains are poisoning their minds against you even now? I can still hear them; the Control Brains still talk to me! And they're spreading the truth about the rebels already!"

The human felt the blood drain from his face. "Already? They're already announcing it...?" Then he cursed, suddenly aware of how desperate the situation was. "I have to warn Skoodge...! I have to get out and warn them!"

"You're on your way down that path," Lark reminded him, seeming both triumphant and exhausted. "Skoodge and the others will be dealing with _me _in a minute."

Suddenly Dib was frantic, clutching at the manifestation's shoulders; for that's all the Lark that faced him was, a manifestation- as was Dib himself. "Lark, if there's _any _of me in you, like there's some of you in me, tell Skoodge. Please, tell Skoodge what you just told me!"

"... There's no human in me," the little Irken whispered, looking away. "I can think of no part of you that I share."

With a crackling sound not unlike that of electricity, a green presence invaded the small blue clearing, making both parties wince back from the alien energy. But Dib knew exactly what it was- the portal. Skoodge had connected the PAKs, and he didn't know how long such a portal would stay open.

"Less than a minute," Lark said softly, still looking down. His voice was so familiar that, for an instant, Dib swore the answer had come from inside his own mind. Which it had, of course.

Rounding on the little drone that looked so much like him, Dib bit his lip. "...!" _Zim... comes first...! _Abandoning all vestiges of pride or restraint, he bent his head.

"Lark, there _is _some Irken in me. I _feel _your love for the Tallest. It's _in me_. I feel _you_, your heart, beating in mine...! There _must _be some of me in you, too. There must! There must be something we both hold dear, too dear to lose, and I know you recognise that...!

"For the sake of _that, _warn Skoodge...!"

The worker drone didn't respond, didn't even twitch. The tunnel was closing rapidly, now, and Dib gave a strangled sound of desperation, abandoning Lark and diving into the portal just as it flashed shut.

And that left the Irken persona truly alone for the first time since the Brains had created him.

**(A/N) Gasp! And off goes Dib to save the day. But will he succeed? The next chapter is called "Zim's Eulogy." Review for hints~! **

**I'm going to be holding a special session to work on some Defective illustrations one of these days... Hop on over to my dA for info on that. :3 I even posted a sketchy illustration today~ **


	9. Zim's Eulogy

**(A/N) Second to last chapter! Not counting the epilogue, of course. :P **

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Be warned. xD **

**CHECK THE END OF THIS CHAPTER FOR TWO IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS. Please? **

**You guys better love me... the last phase of editing is always reading aloud, and my voice is _raw_. But for you guys... I did what I needed to to get this out tonight. I... deserve hugs (meaning... reviews xD). **

**A thousand and one thanks to Greath, Book Casanova, coffeedragon, Samsam1155, and Athena Keating-Thomas for reviewing the last chapter! Special shout out to Greath- IDK if it's still Wednesday wherever you are, but it's still Wednesday here, so... Happy Birthday! *throws confetti* (when you told me it was your birthday, I **_**couldn't **_**be late with this chapter xD). **

**I do not own Invader Zim, Zim, Dib, Skoodge, Lepa (Invader Tenn), Tallest Red, Tallest Purple, or Bob the table-headed service drone. I do, however, own Lark, Keel, and Defective itself. :) **

… **Oh, and I am aware that GIR mysteriously vanished. He's... waiting back at the base. Making the cake for the post-rebellion party. Yeaaaah. **

As the inside his own PAK had been blue, Dib found Zim's to be green. Yet it was far brighter, so much so that the human had to shade his eyes, and electricity crackled through it with alarming intensity and frequency. Shoving away his worries about the rebellion as a whole, Dib leaped up onto a huge cable, craning his neck.

"Zim! Zim, come out here! Don't hide from me, you jerk!"

Predictably, Zim didn't appear. So the human hopped down, wading through the jungle-like setting determinedly. Plowing past his electricity-charged surroundings, he ignored the pain his astral body was subjected to; ignored the burns and shocks.

"Zim! Come out here and face me!" There were tears in his eyes, but he ignored those too. "You alien _jerk_! This is all your fault! Don't you dare run away from me now!"

A colorful ripple flashed through the circuitry, traveling toward a seemingly central point. Following it on a whim, Dib vaulted through the maze and pressed on. Then, just as he was picking up speed, the human slammed into what seemed to be an electrified field, slumping to the ground in a stunned heap. As soon as he regained his senses he bolted to his feet, hands pressed to the scalding barrier.

_Zim...! _

… … …

"You're a natural," Tak told an almost giddy Bob, leaning back casually as the drone did her job. "Seriously, you should be a pilot once we get out of this mess."

Skoodge was far tenser, pacing around the unconscious pair. So when the human woke, he was the first to notice.

"D-Dib...!" he exclaimed, looking nervously at the still-connected PAKs. "Wh-what's happening? Did you get through to-?"

"I'm not Dib..." the Irken worker muttered drowsily, rubbing his eyes; Skoodge drew back sharply.

"Lark...!"

"The fool _did _leave his own body unattended," Tak, who had received an abridged explanation from the Smallest's advisor, said carelessly.

The worker drone stood unsteadily, one hand to his head. "This body... is heavy..."

Skoodge quickly shoved him back down, making the worker squeak. "St-stay down...! If you detach the wires...!"

Lark's eyebrows arched. "Oh... yeah. The human... Dib... is in Zim's PAK right now." He shivered violently, lowering his head and letting his eyes slip half-closed. "Dib is a fool... I don't see why Zim prefers him."

Skoodge softened, his eyes limpid with pity. "Zim and Dib love one another, Lark- they did long before you were created."

"It's not as if I'll actually help him," the drone muttered, seeming not to have heard the other Irken. "He trusts me with a message of that importance and then he dashes off to save Zim."

Skoodge's antennae perked. "'Message?' Dib gave you a message?"

Lark bobbed his head. "Yep- one of great importance. You'll never hear it, though."

It could be safely said that no one, on any planet, gave Skoodge the credit he was due- the Tallest had never recognized him as a worthy Invader, and the Resistance had never trusted him as a leader; even Zim underestimated his old friend.

An egregious mistake, for Skoodge was clever.

"I suppose you're entitled to that," he said softly, and Lark's head snapped up.

"What?"

"You're entitled to withhold Dib's message," the Irken advisor said, making a helpless motion. "After all, you are your own Irken."

Lark looked flustered, but then nodded. "Yes... yes, I am."

"The Resistance isn't your concern," Skoodge said calmly, and saw the worker drone nod again. "Zim isn't your concern, either."

Suddenly Lark's eyes were wide. "Zim?"

The advisor winced. _I feel... like I'm toying with a smeet. _"Of course. You do know that Dib met you on his way to save Zim, right? Well, even if he succeeds, the whole thing will be worthless if the Resistance falls."

Lark glanced over his shoulder at the unconscious form of the Smallest. "Zim..."

Gritting his teeth, Skoodge pressed a bit harder. "Lark, Zim's going to die- I hope you realize that. If the Resistance fails... or if Dib fails. If Dib fails... Zim dies. If the Resistance fails... Zim dies."

"But the Resistance has already failed!" Lark blurted, then clapped his hands over his mouth. Skoodge leaned forward as the drone glanced nervously over his shoulder, his gaze lingering with a despairing longing on Zim's unconscious form.

"Lark... for Zim? Will you tell me for Zim?"

Tears welling in his limpid brown eyes, Lark let his head droop. "The Brains... they're already aware of what you're doing. The Resistance is already dead, because they're already telling me- and everyone -their version of the story. As we speak."

Instantly Skoodge was at the control panel, cursing. "So much... quicker than we anticipated...!"

"How are you even _supposed _to counter that?" Tak asked, sounding bored. "You can't do what the Brains can do, not on that kind of level."

"Dib rigged an old human computer that Zim had in his possession to my PAK," Skoodge explained, pulling out the battered old laptop. "That kid's a genius; he's hacked into our systems before, and the PAKs' network is just a more complicated, secure version of any Irken network."

Tak watched with placid interest as the Irken advisor fiddled with the computer, producing a microphone as Dib's program broke through layer after layer of firewall. Suddenly, though, he went white, slowing as he started to tremble.

"Z-Zim was supposed to do this..." he stammered. "A-and if Zim wasn't here, Dib was going to...!"

"Guess it falls to you, fatty," Tak said casually, and Skoodge spun to face her.

"N-no...! No, I-I can't...! Tak, Tak _you _do it! You make the announcement!"

The female Irken raised one eyebrow, grimacing. "Are you _mad_? I'm not a part of your precious resistance- I'm not even Defective. And I _won't _be carrying _your _message just because _you're _too _shy_."

Skoodge gave a frantic little hop. "Well I can't...! But I...! O-O-Oh Irk...!

"Lepa help me!"

… … …

"Zim!" The Smallest didn't turn; didn't flinch. "Zim, you alien menace, turn and face me!"

Another ripple of multi-colored energy swept through the PAK, but Zim didn't respond to that, either. Irritated, Dib dug his feet into the airy ground, pushing stubbornly at the searing barrier.

"Why are you doing this?!" he wailed, ephemeral tears glittering as he shook his head. "Zim you jerk! You...! You jerk!"

With a sudden surge, the barrier buckled under his hands. He shrieked as his body passed through the electrified field, and he choked on an agonized sob despite the illusory nature of his current form. So convincing was his very imagination- so determined was his soul to manifest itself -that scarlet human's blood splattered liberally across the ground. Shuddering, he pushed himself up, stumbling over to Zim and grabbing for the Irken's shoulder.

"Zim-!" His voice died suddenly, anger draining as his hand slid through the alien's felsh. Lurching off balance, he stumbled back and hit the ground. Whipping around he stared, open-mouthed, at the manifestation of _Zim_.

His ruby eyes were empty- gray.

"... Zim...?" Dib whispered, pulling himself forward on his knees. "Zim?!"

_He's... not doing this... it's _them_. _

_They're trying to erase him. _

… … …

"Tak, keep an eye on Lark!" Skoodge ordered. "Bob, keep flying."

"And if I _won't_?" the female asked in a bored tone.

But Skoodge didn't even flinch. "Then I'll drop you off on the nearest star."

Sighing, Tak rose and walked deliberately over to Lark, keeping her gaze locked on the stout little rebel with the microphone in his visibly trembling hands. Then, with little ceremony, she plopped down on the drone's lap, making him gasp with surprise at her weight.

"He isn't going anywhere."

Skoodge nodded, satisfied, and turned back to the laptop. The screen sizzled with life as the last firewall was broken, red lights flashing green, and the rebel took a deep breath.

"Lepa be with me," he whispered furtively once more, and then leaned into the microphone.

"Kinsmen regardless of age, profession and height, stop and hear the words of the Free Irkens!

"Our Tallest are dead- our Beloved Tallest have been taken from us!" _Have... to be delicate... but can't waste time... _"Your PAKs' feeds may be telling you one thing, but listen now to the truth!

"Sabotage of the Massive became obvious several hours ago. While the powers that be tried valiantly to save the ship and her crew, eventually we could not keep her from her date with doom! The Tallest- on board, organising evacuations of the crew -have perished.

"We the Free Irkens were _not _responsible for this atrocity! In fact, we were in the process of meeting with our Beloved Tallest to discuss the _slavery _of our race.

"And so the Control Brains silenced them!"

… … …

"Zim! Zim, how do I fix it?!" Dib wailed, looking wildly around the jungle of wires. "I don't know my way around the inside of a PAK! Even... even if I did, this isn't a physical body...! I can't do _anything_...!"

"_Kinsmen, regardless of age, profession and height...!" _

The human's head snapped up at the vague echo of Skoodge's voice. _The announcement...! Good...! I can't believe Lark came through...! _

_Wait... Zim shouldn't be able to hear... the feed. _

_A piece of his PAK... _

… _isn't Defective...! That's how they've gotten to him...! _

Scooping up the manifestation of Zim's consciousness, Dib scrambled up a particularly thick cable, vaulting over a tangle of wires and skidding into a narrow, clogged corridor, following the sound of the rebel's voice.

"_Sabotage of the Massive..." _

Dib had to keep shifting the Irken on his back- it was as though the alien was made of water, phasing in and out of reality and slipping through his lover's very fingers. But the young human kept going, scrambling through the tangled wilderness- now without pain, for other things dominated his mind.

"_... in the process of meeting with our beloved Tallest..." _

The human's ears pricked. "Neat little add-lib, Skoodge..." Then he burst out into a clearing, feet slipping out from under him; he was sent skidding forward on his rear, sliding to a stop at last beneath a large, crimson chip- a chip that glowed a bloody hue as malevolent as it's task.

And the rebel's voice was deafening as he said, "_So the Control Brains silenced them!" _

… … …

"Oh, moving indeed!" Tak exclaimed sarcastically. "Well done, well done! Moved me to tears, that did."

Skoodge ignored her, but a shiver passed through him as he continued. "W-we have been unable to recover the hallowed bodies of our Almighty Tallest; the Control Brains are keeping them from us. What more have they been keeping from us? They may be screaming at you right now that it isn't true, but listen to my voice; listen to my voice as I sing the praises of our Sainted Almighty Tallest, and condemn their killers and your slave-holders.

"Our Beloved Tallest were made fools of by the Control Brains- and they grew tired of it! They sought to free us _all_- they fought for that until the end! They fought for _you _until the end!" Biting his lip to keep from gagging on the lies, Skoodge leaned farther forward. "Yet they were Irken- subject to the Control Brains' will. In their ultimate wisdom, they _knew _that only a _Defective _could break our people's shackles; that only a _Defective _could be trusted with Irk!

"... Tallest Red, a Defective himself... and Tallest Purple, his cherished charge... now, in their memory, rise up! Rise up against the Control Brains, in the name of the Almighty Tallest!

"Yet there shall be no more Tallest! For now we follow a Defective- a true leader!

"Now, for the sake of the Tallest's precious memory. and for the sake of your own souls, we follow Almighty Smallest Zim!"

… … …

Rainbow energy pulsed out from that malignant chip, rushing at intervals into Zim's manifestation; each time he seemed to grow less and then less substantial. Clambering up onto the machinery itself, Dib bit his lip.

"_... hallowed bodies..." _

"If only you were here, Skoodge...!" the human said aloud. "I don't know what I'm _doing_...!"

Slithering between the wires, Dib blocked out all pain and focused on the task at hand. _If I detach everything connected to the chip... but nothing else... that should work... _

… _right...? _

"_... were made fools of by the Control Brains..." _

Grunting, Dib wrenched wire after wire loose, electricity ever-intensifying around him. As he did so he constantly glanced back at Zim's soul- still fading.

"_... Tallest Red, a Defective himself..." _

Though the words he suddenly recognised as true startled him, the human didn't pause, his ephemeral body tireless; the whole world seemed to be shaking- the whole PAK -but still Dib clung on tightly, working feverishly like a surgeon removing a cancer.

"_Now, for the sake of the Tallest's precious memory and, for the sake of your own souls, we follow Almighty Smallest Zim!" _

The human cried out as he was shaken free by a tremendous surge of electrical energy; the chip was jarred loose as well, and both it and Dib went crashing down, plunged into absolute darkness.

And then all was still.

… … …

Lark gave a sharp gasp, startling Tak; Skoodge glanced over curiously, his gaze bright. "What is it?"

Tak had opened her mouth to reply when the worker drone cut him off, his eyes wild. "Zim's PAK just shut down!"

Instantly Skoodge was there, foregoing the microphone completely. "What?!"

Lark sniffled, gathering a handful of the cords attached to his PAK and kneading them anxiously. "I-It just went... dark...!"

"No... no no _no_...!" The rebel shoved Tak roughly aside, wrenching open the two PAKs; from Zim's fell a tiny, loose chip, and Skoodge knelt stiffly to retrieve it.

"This... belonged to Keel..." he whispered. "He... had fully functional circuitry inside his PAK...! _They _could access him...!" Working deftly, he criss-crossed wires and plugged them in, hands flying as the two PAKs were attached in ways only Skoodge knew how.

"Sorry for the interruption," Tak was saying into the microphone, her tone buisness-like. "We're currently trying to save the pitiful Smallest, and appreciate your patience, devoted rebel-"

"Tak!" the stout advisor snapped. "Don't meddle!"

"Alright, alright, sorry," the female muttered, her accent thickened by annoyance.

Skoodge had shoved her from his mind already, though, focused only on his task. With a muttered, "Sorry, Lark," he sent a jolt though both PAKs, lighting up Dib's like a rainbow and sparking the Smallest's- frying Lark, in the process. "Come on, Zim...! Don't you _dare..._!"

… … …

"Zim?" Dib knew it was useless as he groped in the pitch blackness, but he couldn't help himself. "Zim?! Zim, you jerk! Answer me!"

The wires had vanished, and the ground was no longer solid- it was more like a thick, clean mud as he struggled, searching. Yet perhaps it was his manifestation that was wavering, fading; in the darkness, it was impossible to tell.

And perhaps Zim was already gone.

"_Ziiim!_" Tears and unseen crimson splattered the ground as he sobbed, yet the rules were different in such a world as he found himself in, and his breath was steady despite the lurid human blood wrenched from his throat. His hands were bashed upon stones no more real than his own illusory body, but he didn't pause or lend them his attention. A dim bluish glow invaded- hardly noticeable, not enough to see by. _My... PAK... _an objective part of the hybrid's brain reflected.

Then, his hands brushed something soft- something cold.

Half throwing himself forward, he gathered the tiny body up into his arms, clinging to what was left of Zim's soul as liquid angst bubbled up in his lungs. Choking on a sob, he pressed his forehead to the alien's, feeling the chilled flesh like water against his. Groping in the darkness, he found the soft mouth- pressed his lips to the Irken's hoping that his breath would pass into his love, despite the fact that neither of them were in possession of physical bodies.

"Zim, Zim, wake up...!" he begged in the barest whisper, mouth moving against the cool velvet skin. "Zim, this is all worthless without you, all of it. It's always been. My life is worthless without you. I may as well just let Lark take over. You're my life- my focus, my purpose. Damnit, Zim, don't you dare die on me...! I let you drag me to your stupid planet after you... destroyed everything else...! And I didn't even... I hate you for it...! I love you, Zim! I wouldn't leave you, so don't you dare leave me...!"

But his pleading garnered no response; his sobbing, not a twitch. Only stillness- deathly stillness as the Irken faded... faded...

… faded...

… until the human was bent over empty air, curling in on only himself.

The PAK jolted suddenly into ruby life- Dib's shriek rent the air as he was jarred by the pale red current; Zim's absence had only just registered in his conscious mind before the violent shock slammed into him like a physical wave, sweeping him up and away. That tide delivered him with a bone-shattering _crash _back into his own body, and he gasped loudly as his eyes snapped open.

"Zim...!"

Suddenly, Dib's vision went black, a force asserting itself over him. Writhing like one possessed, he wailed, _Lark! Lark, let me out! You stupid little...! _Lark_! _

But the Irken persona wasn't budging. _It's my turn...! _he said, more plaintively and less abrasively than one might expect.

The human felt a stab of guilt. _Lark, it's my body! It's my life! I'm Dib! Lark, let me out! _

_So I have no right to exist?! _the drone whimpered, sounding close to tears. _I'm just an... unfortunate parasite the Brains created? And now I just get... shoved back into the PAK?! 'Just go away now, Lark! We're through with you!' _

Dib winced. _No, I-! Well.. what am I supposed to do? Give up everything just so that you can live in _my _body? No way! _

_But it's not my fault! _Lark wailed, making the human flinch. _I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to be created! _

_I-I... I know that! _Dib cried back, vividly aware of their identical voices; beyond the tone, the rhythm and inflection were so painfully familiar- it was as though he was listening to _himself _begging for a chance to live- only a chance to live. _But do you expect _me _to vanish?! I didn't ask for this, either! It's not my fault, either! So why should _I _be punished?! _

_You've had your life! _the pitiful drone cried. _You've had your chance! I've had nothing- nothing! I've had just a taste of _your _life- never my own, not yet! I don't want to _die_, not yet...! _

_Neither do I! _Dib snapped. _That's it- I have so much to lose! Lark, I have so much to lose! I-I have... _

"Zim!"

They both hit upon it at the same moment, and that thought- the thought that belonged to both of them- was so strong that it was verbalized, a gasping shout dragged from shared lips. And then, united in that one concern, _both _found purchase in the single body, opening their eyes to find Tak still sitting squarely upon them.

"H-Hey...! Tak, this hurts!"

The female turned in surprise, still obscuring their vision. "My, that sounds like the old Dib!"

But that wasn't quite the case, for Lark was present just as strongly in those limpid brown eyes- so symmetrical were their wills that there simply _was _no conflict, and together they struggled from beneath Tak. Then, staggering slightly, they found themselves staring down at his tiny form sitting there on the floor, sizzling PAK open in an alarming jumble of electricity and wires. But one eye was open and his hand was to his head, a small, adorable grimace of pain on his face. Skoodge, crouched by the Smallest's side, wore a relieved smile through his tears.

"Zim!"

The Irken's eyes flew open, lighting up. "Dib!"

Not even the human knew exactly when the small Irken slipped away- relinquished control. But it was because of that cry- that shout of recognition, of how things should be. Yet a chasm opened up inside him, even as he held Zim and was held tightly in return- a sudden abundance of space for his own tiny soul.

_Lark...? _

Zim was shouting excitedly, kissing his human playfully, repeatedly, pushing him gradually to the ground with happy little shoves and pounces. But everything was fuzzy to Dib, suddenly alone in his own head.

"Zim..."

The human's back hit the ground and Zim drew back, his eyes troubled and searching as they flicked about.

"... You... _are _the Dib, yes?" he asked worriedly, seeming almost timid. "You are Zim's Dib?"

Though aching with an odd sense of guilt provoked by his own painful joy, Dib smiled; reaching up, he drew Zim close- pressed their warm foreheads together. "You'll never get rid of me, you evil little space-monster. Never."

**(A/N) I rather think... that I have nothing to add to that. :3 **

**One more chapter and the epilogue. Huzzah! Leave a review, please! They mean the world to me, and I'll give you a hint as to the last chapter... **

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER ONE: There's a Defective-themed contest going on over on my dA page! You can win dA points and art (or writing, if you so desire) from yours truly. Lots of categories, lots of prizes~ The link straight to the contest Journal on my dA is conveniently on my profile. The deadline is TBA- it'll probably about a month after the epilogue of the fic is posted. Please head over there and check it out. :) **

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER TWO: There's a new poll on my profile. Go, my precious humans, and vote! **


	10. A Question of Leadership

**(A/N) I... am so late. I'm sorry. v.v But here's the dealio- I got about three-fourths through this chapter, said "Omg this is so OOC its a disgrace to the rest of the fic *tableflip*" and deleted the whole thing. Which I have been know to do but is never, in retrospect, entirely wise. ._. **

**But I'm far happier with how it now. ^_^ **

**So... last offical chapter, guys! :D Nothing much to say in intro, so I'll keep it short and save the sentimentality for the epilogue. :3 **

**A quick word of thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Greath, xXMissFemkeXx, Wintress , coffeedragon, xXKatnissXx, Book Casanova, LookingForChange and Samsam1155... you guys make it all worthwhile! ;w;  
**

**I do not own Invader Zim or any of the characters that appear here. **

Zim hadn't been the same since the final battle with the Tallest- certainly he had celebrated, as had everyone; certainly he had appeared normal, for perhaps an entire day, but he simply wasn't. GIR noticed, Skoodge noticed... everyone noticed.

Dib saw it, clear as day.

The Smallest took his responsibility to the limping empire very seriously- redirecting his energy, Skoodge, ever the analyst, had whispered furtively more than once. For a long while he tried to pretend as if nothing had changed- some days he was frantic to keep himself busy. But other days soon began popping up- days he couldn't be roused by anyone save for Dib. He had taken to sleeping, almost nightly- a habit Dib had shed; a habit an Irken didn't need.

"Hey," the human would say, his words familiar but his voice shockingly tender. "You stupid little green menace. World domination awaits, you ugly space monster."

The Smallest would give himself a shake, then, rising and making some half-hearted attempt at normalcy, seemingly exclusively for Dib's sake. But whatever he said or did fell horribly short of his old self, and eventually he stopped speaking English altogether, although he had seemed loath to part with the Earth language since the planet's destruction. He communicating largely through soft grunts, clicks and broken Irken- the few times he would utter a familiar word, it would be only to Dib- something strange and familiar that only the human would understand- "hamster" or "baloney" or "the lens cap."

Tak, who claimed she stuck around for lack of anything more entertaining to do, slapped him around more than once. But that all stopped- she began to avoid him, in fact -after she knocked him down and he _stayed _down. Frankly, as she had later confided in Dib, it frightened her.

The small Irken who wouldn't fight back didn't seem like Zim at all.

Still, with him there at its helm despite his deterioration, the Empire limped toward what seemed to be a far brighter future. A treaty with the Meekrob was struck up, and Vort was restored to its rightful owners, with Lard Narr assuming leadership. Several more of the Empire's conquests- those with enough of their own structure left to become autonomous with little fuss -were also cut loose, several of them taking the opportunity to create formal treaties with the new Irk. Skoodge did a lot of running around to planets like them, arguably becoming the public face of the Irken empire. Though the Smallest still retained puppet-master-like control of negotiations, his voice- hoarse, now, with disuse -was strictly reserved for those those closest to him- Dib, Skoodge, and scarcely a handful of others. As time went on, there were many duties that became Skoodge's alone- many duties that fell through the cracks, or that Zim's advisor didn't see fit to burden his failing mind with.

And then there came the day when even Dib failed to rouse him.

"Zim. Zim."

Shaking the Smallest gently, Dib furrowed his brow- he could see the rise and fall of the narrow chest, so didn't see fit to panic. He found himself reasoning that it was just one if the worse days- they did pop up, and were no reason for undue alarm. So he leaned down, kissing and then nipping roughly at the antennae.

"Rise and shine."

Still Zim didn't respond, and only then did apprehension bubble up in Dib's stomach. Crawling up beside the small form, he grabbed the Irken's shoulder and pulled him from the bed with more theatrics than were necessary, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a tangled heap. That at least got a reaction from the Smallest, who sprang to his feet, spluttering. Dib scrabbled, too, bracing himself for the retaliatory attack he anticipated.

But that attack never came; Zim just stared at him, blankly, his ruby eyes watery and pale. Concern instantly drowning the childish playfulness he had almost felt, Dib moved forward.

"Zim?" Hands out hesitantly, he reached for the Irken; the Smallest flinched away, taking a step back.

"Why should Zim?"

Not having expected the raspy words, Dib flinched. "What?"

"Why should Zim do such things?" the Irken demanded, his liquid eyes sparking with the manic objection. "Why should Zim kill himself like this? Why, when all I wanted was my Dib?!"

"Zim, I'm right here!" the hybrid said, wanting to move forward but nervous. "Zim, Dib is right here!"

But Zim shook his head. "No... no, they took Dib away from me..."

"Stop it, Zim!" the human's voice was a wail, fear and anger lighting his eyes from the inside out. "Stop it! Stop being such a... a jerk!"

Zim flinched at the familiar insult, antennae flattening as he looked up at the boy he no longer seemed to recognize. "No... you are not my Dib."

A brutal punch connected with the tender green skin, sending the Smallest stumbling backward and crashing to the ground. Tears- somewhere between terror and fury -flowed down the human's own face as he took a step forward.

"And _you _are not my _Zim_. If you were my Zim, you wouldn't even flinch," the human boy spat, seeming disgusted.

The tiny Irken stared uncomprehendingly up, tears welling in his own liquid eyes. But when his face twisted, it wasn't with sadness or pain, but with anger- anger and bitter regret.

"Tallest Red was right."

Dib jerked back, not having expected the hated name to pop up- no less with title intact. Whenever necessity demanded they speak of the long-dead figurehead, no one afforded him the respect of his title.

"Zim does not know what sacrifice is... nor will I ever."

Crouching down, the hybrid boy leaned forward. "What... do you mean...?"

"Zim will never give up his Dib-thing," the Irken said, his tears beginning to spill over. "But... Tallest Red... would not give up that which he held precious, either..."

The words were barely making sense to Dib- not present for the Tallest's dying moments -but he leaned forward anyway. "Zim... would you stop talking about me like I'm not here? It's getting annoying."

The Irken, though still crying, furrowed his brow. "Dib has no say over how Zim speaks."

Relief fluttering through him at what was at least a trace of familiarity, Dib put a pair of fingers to the Irken's forehead and shoved him off balance. "Shut up."

"Zim will not be silent!" the Irken objected, rising to his feet and glaring down at the human boy. "Zim is Zim!"

Dib stood too, confused but relieved by the sudden outburst. "Of course you are. And I'm Dib- you know that, right?"

The Irken boy scoffed, kicking at the ground. "Yes, Zim knows," he muttered, antenna flattening as he looked down. "A-And Zim will never allow the Dib to leave! Never!"

"If you can stop me," the hybrid boy teased- half fearful that it might set Zim off again, yet craving the normalcy of their banter.

"Zim will never give up his Dib- the little human he has fought for," the Smallest said, seeming apprehensive but confident.

The human's expression softened visibly as he stepped forward, pushing his face into Zim's and nuzzling his forehead against the Irken's. "I've missed you, Zim."

Zim stiffened, and the human let his cheek slide across the heated skin, then turned to kiss his soft green temple lightly. Only then did the Irken act, shoving the boy away from him and shaking his head furiously.

"How dare the Dib?!" he demanded, his voice and language beginning to normalize after his spell of silence. "How dare the stink-boy?!"

Dib laughed, spreading his hands. "Now, now, Zim- Zim. There's my Zim."

"Zim is not _your _Zim!" the Smallest raged, brushing himself off furiously. "Zim is Zim! I am Zim!"

"Exactly," Dib sighed, smiling warmly and confusing his poor Irken partner further.

Zim peered at him. "Is the Dib-thing feeling alright?"

"I'm sure _Zim _is feeling alright," the hybrid boy replied smartly, and the Irken stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment. Then the Smallest gave himself a visible shake, turning away.

"If the Dib wishes to speak in riddles, Zim will not be bothered by such things," he said, rubbing unconsciously at his bruised face.

Dib's smile twitched wider, and he turned too. "Just... you don't have to give me up, Zim."

Zim huffed. "I will not- be sure of that, humanling. You are Zim's- any escape attempts will be severely punished."

Dib laughed softly, relief cracking his voice as he said, "I count on that."

But then the Irken's eyes darkened- that shadowed, haunted look paling them once again. "Even if... I must give up the Empire..." he muttered dreamily. "I will not sacrifice my Dib. Zim is not fit to lead... Zim was never..."

Shuddering, the human reached over, wrapping his arms around the Irken sideways; Zim didn't pull away. "Zim... I promise, you'll never have to choose."

"I will eventually," the Smallest sighed, turning his head away but not trying to break free of the embrace. "And then I will betray all else for my Dib. How must Zim... live with this knowledge...?"

_That's... what's been driving him so mad...? _the hybrid thought, wondering at the deep contemplation that he hadn't thought Zim was capable of. A moment later, however, he corrected the thought. _It's not... surprising, actually. He focuses on one thing... with scarcely sane intensity- he always has. And that one thing, at least for now... is _me_. So you could even say this whole thing... is _my _fault. _

"My dear Zim..." the human whispered, guilt and sorrow crashing over him. "You don't... have to-"

"Zim! Zim, Dib, you won't believe this!"

The pair looked up, transe of their discussion shattered by Skoodge's excited voice. Then the pudgy Irken was skidding wildly into the room, arms waving frantically.

"Zim, Dib, you have to come see this! Now, hurry!"

Glancing at each other nervously, the Almighty Smallest and his better half padded after their advisor; Dib's eyes were sparking with curiosity, though Zim still seemed unnaturally tired. Following Skoodge down the halls of Irk's capital, the Smallest finally spoke, irritated.

"What's this about, Skoodge?"

"Oh, you won't believe it!" the bubbly Irken exclaimed. "You've just... man, just _wait _'til you see!"

"Give us a hint," Dib implored, though Zim rolled his eyes. The little advisor turned so that he was walking backwards, hands up and face split in a goofy smile.

"Okay, okay. So apparently the Tallest decided that there were a few things about Earth that were worth saving."

Zim's jaw dropped; Dib's eyes flew wide. And then all three were racing along, as fast as Skoodge could lead on stubby legs. Skidding into an underground chamber- not unlike or far from the Smeetery -the advisor reached up on his toes to fumble with a huge lock on a proportionally huge, metal door.

"It took us awhile to find it- and then even longer to figure out how to open it," he said, explaining the time lapse; there was a heavy clang as the lock fell, and the door swung abruptly open on oiled hinges. Skoodge dropped back to let the other two rush out onto a narrow shelf, plastering themselves to the railing and bending out over it like excited children, eyes taking in the scene with giddy, disbelieving hunger.

The great underground cavern extended for miles, filled to the brim with native earth life. Animals paced in cages and birds flew free; plants blanketed the ground in pots and whole groves of trees jutted up from transplanted soil, brown amid the native pink, reaching up toward the metal sky.

And the humans.

Some milled about; other sat, curled up or relaxed, calming others or being calmed. Some Irkens bobbed through the crowd, speaking to the refugees or handing out food, spreading news of the great rebellion, telling how those destined to be Irken slaves were now free.

Zim looked at Dib; saw the human's joy; smiled.

"I'm not the last one."

"Zim is happy for you, little stink-beast."

Suddenly, Dib's whole body went rigid; without a word of explanation he launched himself over the banister, using one if PAK's many extensions to control his fall. The Irken, after a moment of confused hesitation, began to chuckle and followed, trotting behind as the little human shoved and vaulted through the crowd, his breath coming in joyful, gasping laughter.

"Dad! Dad!"

Membrane turned, slowly, just as the small body plowed into his, and then he was on his knees.

"Dad...!"

"My... my son...! My dear son...!"

The two held each other tightly, terrified to let go, unable to bear their tears alone. But eventually Membrane pushed his son away, holding him at arm's length.

"I am so sorry, my son," he said, his voice thick. "I should have believed you! I should have...!"

"Dad, it's okay! I'm just... you're alive...!"

"My son!"

"Dad!"

Zim, watching the little reunion from a distance, was quick to piece together what Dib was too emotional to see- it wasn't out of mercy that the Tallest had spared this collection of organisms. They all that their uses- craftsmen and scholars and tradesmen. There wasn't one child among the crowd, and for some reason that plucked at Zim's insides- needles of grief he hadn't been expecting. Yet he found himself thanking something- Fate, perhaps -that his Dib's parental unit was the _most _useful of any human in existence- it would nearly have been a sin for the empire to not preserve his life and make use of him.

But even embroiled in such thoughts, Zim was only capable of maintaining a respectful silence for so long. Coming up behind Dib, he seized the human's shoulders and rocked him back and forth.

"The Dib has moved Zim to tears...!" he said dramatically- mockingly. "Eh? Is that the _audience _I heard sniff-sniffing? The Dib has moved us _all _to tears!"

"Z-Zim...!" the human objected indulgently, shoving uselessly at the alien. But the Irken wouldn't let go, wrapping his arms around Dib's neck and clinging there until they both tumbled backwards in a giggling heap.

"I-I see you've changed your mind about the little green boy...!" Membrane said, seeming surprised- understandably so. "I thought, especially now since..."

He continued, but neither boy was listening anymore, tumbling across the earth-like turf. Dib broke away first, sprinting around a tree with Zim in hot pursuit.

"I'll get you! You can't run from Zim!"

"I'll dissect you, you filthy alien!"

"Dissect _yourself, _earth-stink! You're more alien than _Zim_!"

The hybrid spun to face the other, his feet planted. "And who's to blame for _that_, eh _Zim_?"

"Who's to _thank,_ you mean?" The Irken plowed into him, sending them both rolling. "Yes, yes, you have _Zim_ to thank!"

"Oh you little- mmf!" Dib was cut off by a pair of lips mashed to his, smothering his words. As the shock wore off he _melted_, giving an awfully Irken-sounding purr as his eyes slid shut. Then he was holding fast to Zim, moaning the Irken's name softly as everything else fell away.

Professor Membrane fainted dead away.

"Thank you, Zim..." Dib whispered against his love's mouth, breath labored.

The Smallest grinned haughtily, purring. "The Dib should make a point of thanking me daily."

"Don't push it!" the human growled, shoving at the other playfully but hard. "Alien scum!"

"Earthanoid stinkbeast," Zim replied, then kissed him again sweetly. "This is a _glorious _victory for _Zim_!"

Dib drew back against the turf, eyes narrowing. "I'd call this a victory for _Earth_!"

"As I said," the Invader said haughtily, "a victory for Zim. You are only redundant, little monkey- a victory for Earth is a victory for Zim, and visa versa."

As that sunk in, the little human slowly began to smile, until his grin outgrew his face. Then, with a short cry, he flung himself upward and flipped their positions, kissing his alien love fiercely.

"I love you, Zim," he said, blocking the other's objection with his tongue. "Don't say I don't, please..."

After a momentary struggle, the Smallest managed to shove his assailant off and sit up, face flushed. "F-foolish Dib-thing! Love is far from the point of these things!" Grasping the earthling's hand, he brought them both to their feet. "Come! Let us ascend once more! Let us fly among the stars again, my fanciful little Diblet!"

Breathless with confusion and anticipation, the human unconsciously tightened his grip on the other's hand. "W-where are we going?"

"Zim!"

The shout interrupted anything the Irken was about to say, a round little shape shoving it's way through the crowd until it stood, panting, beside the pair of refugees.

"Zim, what's going on?" Skoodge demanded, looking worriedly from his Smallest to Dib and back again. "What are you talking about, leaving?"

Zim spun, a grin painted across his face. "The Diblet and Zim shall leave this planet!"

The advisor's eyes flew wide. "You're leaving Irk?!" he demanded, taking a step forward. "You're our Smallest! The... the whole empire follows Smallest Zim- no one else could have rallied loyal and Defective Irkens alike, Zim! We still need you!"

But Zim only smiled, albeit a bit sadistically; stepping forward, he made a show of bringing himself up to his full height.

"Zim thinks I am no longer Smallest, Skoogemious."

The stout Invader jumped as Zim, still grinning, moved his hand between their foreheads- indeed, he seemed to be perhaps half a centimeter taller than his smeethood friend, much to Skoodge's surprise.

Invader Zim's smile softened as he said, "Hail, my Smallest."

"I-I... b-but I... and you...!" Skoodge stammered, and then gave a shrill little squeak as Zim knelt; Dib followed suit, though they both were rather enjoying the new Smallest's wild squirming as he gave a strangled shriek of, "I can't run the empire!"

"Skoodgemious _has _been running the empire," Zim said, glancing up with the sadism in his smile renewed. "Therefore, who else when Zim returns to Earth?"

A shiver passed through Dib at the sound of it- not lost on the still-kneeling Zim. The Irken Invader stood briskly, brushing himself off and looking around.

"Yes..." he continued, half to Skoodge and half to himself. "We shall have this lot loaded aboard the Massive; Zim will take supplies and a group of Irkens to assist me. We will rebuild the planet called Earth, with these things."

"Zim, you can't be serious?" Skoodge tried once more, stepping forward with his palms up in an imploring motion, but was met only with a hand in his face.

"Skoodge will look after the great Irken Empire; Zim knows she will not fall apart under your care."

And with those words, Zim patted his friend on the shoulder; turned, took Dib by the arm; vanished into the sea of Earth life, chatting animatedly about the future as they walked, soon all but lost in the crowd.

**(A/N) I actually knew where the story was going to end from the beginning... but life's in the journey, hmm? Tell me what you guys thought! I'll give you a hint as to the epilogue! I promise it'll be a quicker update this time, although I'll be sad when it comes to an end... **

**Don't forget to check my dA for the Defective-themed contest, along with my profile poll for upcoming projects~ **


	11. Epilogue- Sunsets and Raindrops

**(A/N) It's finally over! I think I'm gonna cry! ;A; (I'm sorry it's so late, too... T^T) **

**No, I'm really excited to wrap this fic up, and want to thank everyone who's faved, watched and reviewed. :3 Seriously, you all keep me going. 3**

**I wish I could thank everybody by name, but I'll keep it to the peeps who reviewed the last chapter so I don't take up a whole page with thanks. Coffeedragon, Flameear, a mysterious Guest, xXFemkeXx, and Greath, you guys are awesome! **

**This whole epilogue was inspired by "Between the Raindrops" by Lifehouse. Everybody, go listen to it. :') **

**I do not own Zim, Dib, Skoodge, or any other surprise canon characters who appear in the epilogue. I do own Defective- it's my pride and joy. :3 I also own Lark, the poor little troublemaker. **

**And without further ado- the conclusion. **

Breath coming in sharp gasps, the human boy raced through the fields of grain, feet pounding on the soft, plowed earth. Golden light shimmered all around him, creating a fable-like haze that was only enforced by the soft buzzing of cicadas and chirping of crickets. The air he gulped in was pure- the first air ever breathed. The sky, bathed in silky orange by the setting sun, was streaked with gauzy clouds as clean and crisp as the water they were made from.

People glanced up as he tore by- people tending crops, people bent over computers, people kneeling by small streams. Some hailed him- everyone knew his name. But he didn't pause; vaulting over a pile of lumber, he scrabbled for balance and kept running, weaving between houses made of metal and mud.

"Zim!"

Skidding into the busy market clearing, the boy let his chest heave for a moment before shouting it again.

"Zim! Zim, come out and fight me! Come out, you coward!"

The activity around him didn't slow; didn't part. The air he took in in great gasps chilled his lungs and he shivered; his breath, however, was beginning to calm, if not his pounding heart.

The shadow appeared without warning, dropping from a tree branch and landing squarely on the boy's shoulders; the human gave a startled and pained grunt as his legs buckled, but he rolled quickly, sending them both tumbling across the dusty Earth.

"Ouch!" the human squeaked, his hair having been trapped to the ground by a hand and so pulled. His Irken assailant snorted with amusement, solidifying his position atop the boy.

"Victory!" he crowed. "Victory for Zim!"

Dib scowled, but there was an undeniable fondness there. His better half only grinned down at him, triumphant.

"Zim! Dib!"

The nostalgic voice made the two look up from their familiar games; Zim leaped to his feet, allowing his hybrid partner to clamber up beside him and brush off his dusty clothes crossly.

"Skoodgimious!" Zim called, louder than was necessary. The rebel leader was bustling toward them on short legs, another shape trailing behind him- this small shape struggling to hold an armful of tech and otherwise important-looking papers. When the pair had come slightly closer- the assistant's face not quite so obscured -Dib gasped aloud; Zim, startled and admittedly a bit concerned, turned to stare at his shocked little human.

"Dib!" the tiny drone cried out, letting his load fall with a sweeping clatter as he rushed forward. He dashed past an indulgently annoyed Skoodge and an indignantly confused Zim to slam into Dib, nearly knocking the human boy backwards.

"I-it can't...!" Dib began, but then contented himself with embracing the little Irken. "Lark. I'm so happy for you."

"'_Lark_?!'" Zim burst out, looking wildly at Dib and then to Skoodge, who had stopped to gather up his papers before following the one who had dropped them. "What is _this_?! _How_?!"

"When you were... out of it," Skoodge said gently, "I had some free time to fiddle with Dib and that interesting PAK of his. He-"

"There will be no fiddling with the Dib-human!" Zim cut him off. "The Dib belongs to Zim!" But he slowly quieted as Skoodge waited, annoyed, to resume his narrative.

"You had no say in the matter because you practically weren't talking," the Smallest huffed, and then continued calmly, "So I managed to figure out where 'Lark' was stored in his PAK and extract him- he was quite dormant when I first did so, and for a while I didn't think I'd be able to reawaken him; even after that, I'd never done a permanent consciousness transplant before.

"I ended up making him a whole new body- he still looks smeet-ish because this body has barely been alive for one Earth year."

At last Lark and Dib were parting from their embrace. They chattered like excited starlings, Lark telling Dib of his new position as Skoodge's assistant, etc., and the human nodding enthusiastically, one hand resting on the childlike alien's small head- almost smaller than his palm. When Zim peered intrusively into the scene, both looked up at him; Lark dipped his head respectfully.

"Zim. I trust you're well?"

Zim nodded jerkily; mistrustful. "Yes, Zim is well. You seem well as well, little smeetling."

"I am," Lark chirped, bowing again and turning back to Dib. "See? I'm not gonna cause problems anymore! You're taking good care of Zimmy, right?"

Dib's throat closed up unexpectedly. "Yes, I am." Stooping, he pressed his head to the little drone's warm forehead and whispered, "I'm so happy for you, Lark. Are you enjoying life?"

"Yes," the little drone whispered back, pressing up on his toes. "Thank you, Dib."

"All I did was give Skoodge permission to rustle around in this mechanical tumor of mine to fish you out."

Lark shrugged. "But you were the one who thought up the idea."

"Why are Skoodgimious and Lark on Earth?" Zim asked his Smallest, obviously tired of being excluded from the conversation. Skoodge, though _he _might have been content to watch the reunion forever, turned.

"Oh, just some routine census information. I'm going to work on gathering some Irken runaways and rogues next, so I'm looking for base numbers on each planet- Irken v. native population, etc. Lots of newly awakened Irkens are branching out, you know- settling on other worlds. It's getting impossible to keep track of them all without some formal system. That's what Lark's helping me with- the boy has a knack for numbers, you know."

"That's right!" Lark chirped, turning back to Dib and pulling at the human's clothes in a childlike manner. "Give me a problem, any problem! C'mon, please!"

Dib thought for a moment, but was cut off when Zim said, "538 times 7,569,567,213!"

"Zi-" the human began, annoyed, but couldn't get the objection out.

"4,072,427,160,594," the drone answered promptly, grinning wildly up at Zim. "Right?"

The Irken's antennae flicked back; he looked momentarily annoyed, but then sighed and shrugged. "We shall trust little Lark in his answer."

Chirping with excitement, Lark hugged them both in turn- first Zim, tentatively, then Dib, tightly -and returned to Skoodge's side; the Smallest handed him the pile of papers once again, which he accepted cheerfully.

"We'll be on-planet for about a week," Skoodge said, taking his turn to hug them both before backing away. "We must get together at some point- a proper catching up."

"Of course," Dib replied warmly, waving and elbowing Zim- urging him to do the same -as the two figures vanished into the busy Earth streets. Lark waved back as best he could with his armful, but Skoodge kept him moving good naturedly with a hand at the small of his back.

Dib sighed. "What a happy ending," he murmured, leaning into Zim as he said it. There was a certain bitterness to his voice- an undertone that his Irken partner doubted would ever go away. Gaz was still dead, after all, and countless other humans- the survivors, though they had begun to start over, still fought the pain of what they had lost every day, Dib included. And, though Zim was loath to admit it, he still mourned as well.

"Zim! Zim! Ziiiim! Hey! Hey! Hey, Buddy!"

Zim froze at the sound, serious thoughts vanishing and confounded terror welling up inside him as he leaped onto an equally stunned Dib; he clung stubbornly to his better half's overly-large head as the object of many a Zimmy-nightmare approached gleefully.

"Zim! Buddy! Hiiiiiiiii!"

"K-Keef?!" Dib cried, more shocked than alarmed at the sudden appearance of their old classmate. "How…? You weren't…!"

"Yeah, I-I was up a tree when the apocalypse came," the red headed boy began, giggling slightly, "and I've been living on Twinkies ever since! But boy am I happy to see you guys!"

"Keef! Get your arse back over here _now_! I didn't dismiss you!"

"S-Sorry, Tak!" Keef called, trotting obediently over to the female Irken as she made her appearance, looking as if the situation was entirely routine. She didn't even respond to either of the boys' gaping stares, and eventually it took a direct question from both of them to drag any sort of explanation out of her.

"What the hell, Tak?!"

"What is the _meaning_ of this _thing_?!"

The dignified defective shrugged. "The little elf's bloody indestructible; tried to kill him the first time I saw him, but blast if it didn't work. He makes a very good little slave, you know."

"Anything for you, Tak!" Keef chirped adoringly, seeming like little more than a devoted puppy at the Irken girl's side.

Zim slowly clambered down from where he had still been latched onto his human's head, raising one invisible eyebrow as he stared critically at Tak. Then, seeming to come to a conclusion, he took Dib's arm possessively.

"Well, being so occupied he'll leave us _alone_," he said, turning. "Come, Dib-human! Let us leave this unsightly scene of unsightliness."

Tak sniffed. "Your loss, Zim," she said, turning as well. "Come on, Keef. We don't have any more business with these two heathens."

"Yes, Tak! Whatever you say!" Prancing eagerly after the Irken girl, Keef turned back briefly, calling, "See you later, Zim! Sorry I couldn't stay and ta-"

"Keef! No associating with the commoners!"

"Yes, Tak! Anything you say!"

Shivering violently with the strangeness of the scene, Dib let Zim continue to lead him away. The Irken seemed to be physically disturbed by the encounter, and soon the human was snickering at his lingering grimace. The pair didn't stop until they had reached the edge of the settlement, were nature had reclaimed a vast meadow that sported numerous grasses and an array of colorful wildflowers.

Dib sighed, craning his head up to gaze at the mottled sky, a beautiful collage of grey-blue and silver, accented by the orange glow of the sunset. He grinned as Zim's shoulder knocked into him and shoved back, laughing when the startled Irken fell over. Instantly Zim was up, pouncing for the human but missing; laughing harder, Dib leaped back and darted away, thunder rippling through the air around him.

"Run for shelter, Zim!" he shouted, but the Irken only grinned and gave chase.

The setting sun flashed at the horizon, a ball of golden fire that lit up the droplets of rain as the clouds surrendered them. Dib gave a childish shriek of delight as the rain hit him, and Zim's voice echoed him as the Irken's hand flew up to shield his face. But within an instant they were both laughing, Zim's eyes flashing as he refocused on his target; the human boy's laughter found a new pitch as he spotted the look, and he darted off through the long grasses with the Irken in hot pursuit.

Running through the sodden meadow, Invader Zim tasted the clean air; felt the water strike him, like a thousand tiny fingers his drumming out a song on his tender green skin. The rain, like the whole planet, was so pure- devoid of every pollutant that had once riddled Earth -that it didn't even singe him.

The pair raced back through the village, bounding over fences and swerving past shrieking children and smeets playing in the rain- feeling hardly more than younglings themselves. Skoodge made a slight motion as they passed, a motion that tried to say "Stop! You're out leaders! Have some dignity!" but he stalled, letting them pass unhindered. Tak wasn't so kind, yelling some coarse insult from where she had taken shelter under a coffee shop awning. Lark caught sight of them and waved, youthful enthusiasm unhampered as the papers he had been holding scattered across the muddy ground.

But Zim and Dib were lost to them all, lost to everyone but each other- nothing had changed, in that regard. And so they burst from the town's border and continued on, streaking through the shimmering golden rain with little care for anything but the water in their eyes and the presence of the other. At last Zim caught a snatch of luck, closing the gap between them with one clean leap and bowling Dib over, sending them both rolling over and over among the muddy grass.

Breathless with laughter, panting, flushed respectively powder blue and rose pink, the Irken and the human gazed at one another, the former atop the later. Zim leaned down; kissed the hybrid boy once; lapped at his cheek.

"Dib-thing... this rain upon your face tastes of salt."

The boy laughed shortly, reaching up and cupping Zim's head, using his thumb to wipe away a streak of mud despite the Irken's scowl. "Really? And you haven't shed a tear, oh heartless Invader Zim?"

The Irken scoffed crossly, shaking his head to rid himself of Dib's hand. "Zim thinks you speak nonsense, humanling."

"Zim avoids my question," the human answered coyly; the rain no longer touched him for the Irken hovering over him, but he was still aware of it trickling down around him, rolling off of Zim's shoulders and dripping from his antennae.

Every other thought, in that instant, was swept away in a torrent of overwhelming love, the kind of thing he wouldn't have thought himself capable of. _The first time I saw Zim... those ages ago in Miss Bitter's classroom... I honestly hated him._

"I hated you, Zim," he said aloud, honestly. "Why... How did this happen? Now I love you."

The Irken scoffed- grimaced, actually, at the sound of the four-letter word. Hopping to his feet, he pulled the hybrid boy up beside him, pulling him so close that their foreheads touched; his expression morphed into a taunting little smirk.

"It has happened in the same way that Zim has come to love the Dib-thing. Hate and love are separated by such a fine line indeed."

Surprise nearly knocked Dib off his feet, and then Zim was running, hand still grasping the human's, nearly pulling him off balance. The Irken led him toward the burning horizon, the sun lighting up the sky beneath the cloud line; Zim dug in his feet suddenly, spinning the human boy as he let his legs fold, Dib landing in his lap with a shocked squeak. The human had scarcely a moment to regain his breath before it was taken again by the view, and he felt his jaw drop as the tears came again without warning.

The ground fell away abruptly several feet in front of them; Dib had yet to venture this far from the village, as though some spectral force were warning him away. For, stretching out for miles on end in every direction, the rain beat down on a soft blanket of ash- a blanket draped over a dead planet. Aware of Zim's arms tightening around him, Dib felt his whole body begin to tremble as he averted his eyes and gazed instead at the horizon, where the sun cast its dying rays upward as it fought to keep the sky lit.

"One day this will be a forest," Zim whispered, using one hand to brush a clump of wet hair from the human's face. "One day this planet will be healed. Diblet, we will see it."

And only then did it occur to the hybrid boy to ask, but the very instant it appeared in his mind, it had to be verbalized. "Zim, how long do Irkens live?"

And his answer was, "We do not die."

Dib choked softly on some unknown response, and Zim stayed still and as he cried- cried from shock and happiness and confusion. By the time either of them broke the silence again, the sun's glow was scarcely visible in an otherwise deep blue sky and the rain only dripped from from the trees and grass stalks.

"Dib, we will see this planet rebuilt. We will reign here for as long as we desire. We will visit as many planets as we wish, and we will fly among as many stars. Diblet, it all belongs to Zim, and therefore it all belongs to you." Suddenly Dib was laughing, and his Irken counterpart drew back with surprise. "What?"

"Zim, it's not all yours," he chuckled. "It's my job to make sure you don't conquer any unsuspecting planets, remember?"

Almost seeming relieved, Zim smiled. "Of course. Zim is glad to hear that the Dib has not given up on this futile quest."

Yet that made Dib pause, his eyes darkening as though mimicking the sky. The sun had all but vanished- the air was crisp with the rain and the darkness, but the chill bothered neither hybrid nor Irken, for their PAKs regulated their temperature.

"Zim... how long until I do give it up? How long until things change?" At the Irken's confused look- antennae drooping with concern at the sudden change -he forced himself to laugh. "I mean, in human circles, 50 years together was a long time- something to shoot for, getting to your 'golden anniversary.' So..." His smile faded, his original concern shadowing his eyes. "Zim, how long will it take for us to... change?"

To his surprise, Zim laughed- honestly and heartily, just like he used to- as he had when Dib turned up at his door looking for help for the Curse of the Shadowhog. It was a mocking laugh- joyful; fond; mocking. Once he had recovered himself, he butted his forehead against Dib's, still grinning wildly.

"For humans, perhaps," he said. "Frail, foolish humans- Irkens do not work in such ways; Irkens are not so fickle. Humans are stupid, oafish creatures who do not value what is precious to them. Zim is not human. Zim is not human, and neither is his Dib-thing. Yet we have this love thing, do we not? And we have been through so much, have we not?

"Zim will not change, and neither will his Dib-thing. We will not change until we wish to, _if _we wish to. The very Universe will change around us, and we will watch, Dib. We will watch it change together, as enemies or lovers or however we wish."

Dib's breath was shallow as he laughed, too, unsure what to make of the emotions riddling his own heart. "Gosh, Zim... you're not normal, you know that?"

"Of course not," the grinning Irken said. "And Zim would not wish to be normal, never. For Zim is Defective, as the Dib is Defective. Defective is superior," he added with a smirk. "The universe is ours to conquer and command."

Dib smiled- almost wishing he could fall asleep there, and let his dreams roam. _But... I don't _need _to dream anymore... I... can just live. _"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Nor would Zim. My Diblet, Zim will never let it be any other way."

~THE END~

**(A/N) I hope you all enjoyed Defective! Please leave one last review, it would mean the world to me. ^_^ **

**IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING MORE FROM ME check the poll on my profile! I've revamped it since I last pitched it, so feel free to recast your votes, or vote for the first time! I really hope to see you all again. :) **

**Also, don't forget that there's a Defective themed contest going on on my dA! Win points and art (or fiction, if you prefer!)! **


End file.
